Secret Admirer
by TerribleSpy
Summary: Kurt has a secret admirer; Kurt and Blaine redefine their relationship in the wake of Rachel's party; Blaine looses out to Jeff
1. SPAM

**A/N: Patty LuPone was interviewed on local NPR program (3/1/2011) ( www. kqed a/forum/R201103011000 add protocol, slashes, and remove spaces). I thought of this first as one-shot but as I wrote it, it turned into something multi-chapter. I've got some ideas from other authors. If you see something that was in your story, it may very well be. Thanks in advance.**

**Secret Admirer / Ch. 1 - SPAM**

Author: TerribleSpy

Rating: T

Characters: Kurt, Blaine

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee. I just want to play in that universe.

**~.oOo.~**

If Kurt were still going to McKinley, he would have just deleted the email. It was from a "secret admirer" and the headers were from an email server at OSU. It looked like SPAM except that the body said "You'll love this…A Secret Admirer" and a link to the San Francisco NPR FORUM radio show.

He clicked on the link and found an interview with Patty LuPone! He listened to the hour-long MP3 file, laughing at her attributing her case of breast cancer solely to Andrew Lloyd Weber, crying at her singing "The Man I Love", and entranced by her stories. He saved it for later sure he would listen to it again and really wanted to thank whoever sent this to him. It had really brightened his day. When he replied to the email, he got a bounce message saying the account was invalid. _Oh well_, thought Kurt and he went to Amazon to order her book.

A few days later, he got another email from the same account at OSU. The body was a link to a Columbus theater's production of Billy Elliot. The body of the message said "If you want to go this Friday, leave a Post It on your door with the word YES"

Kurt was torn. He'd wanted to go to this with Blaine, but since Rachel's party and their blow up over coffee, they'd been avoiding each other. This little break had been a good thing for Kurt. Singing in the Warbler's chorus had taught him that it's not always about him. Growing up, making the effort to make friends was hard for Kurt. He had always been "different". And little boys can be so cruel to other little boys who are different. At some point, he just stopped approaching boys and girls, growing tired of the rejection. Joining New Directions was different. They were all misfits of one sort or another, forced together to become a dysfunctional family of sorts.

Kurt made the effort to reach out and get to know his fellow Warblers and other students in his classes, rather than relying on Blaine to be his entire social world. He'd even started flirting with Flint, another Warbler. He'd gotten tickets for Billy Elliot a while ago and was thinking of asking Flint if he wanted to go. Or he could just give them away.

He left a Post It on his door that said "No thanks" the next morning and went off to breakfast.

Friday after the Warbler's practice, Kurt was in his room hurriedly changing out of his Dalton uniform, getting ready to drive home for the weekend. It was 4pm and he would probably be late for the traditional Hummel Friday night dinner. Kurt figured he'd call saying he'd be late while he was on the road.

As he hefted his weekend overnight bag off the bed, there was a knock on his door. Kurt opened it to find Blaine. As soon as he saw how Kurt was dressed and the overnight bag, his face fell. "Can we talk?" asked Blaine.

Kurt debated on if he had the time to say all he really wanted to to Blaine but opted for the Cliff Notes version.

"Sorry, I have to get going if I'm going to get home in time to make it for dinner. Walk with me?" Kurt said as he closed his door and moved down the hall.

"Listen, I need to apologize for what I said to you at the coffee shop last week." said Kurt as they walked down the halls. "It's not as though I haven't experimented with kissing girls or anything."

Blaine stopped walking, his mouth open. "Wait. What?"

Kurt waved Blaine to keep walking. "It was last year. Before I came out to my Dad, I went through a phase of trying to fit in by pretending I was straight. Brittany and I dated for a week. She was the one draped on Artie's lap at Rachel's party. We made out on my couch and my Dad caught us. It made me realize the ridiculousness of it all. I hate flannel and John Mellencamp." explained Kurt.

"I'm not sure what those last two things have to do with making out, but I'll just go with it. I wanted to apologize, too. I talked this whole thing over with my therapist and there very clearly is something to work out here. I'm still trying to figure out why I walked out on our coffee date." said Blaine.

"Yeah, after one date with Rachel Berry, you really got her 'storming out' technique down." laughed Kurt. "Wait. You thought of those as dates?"

"I do now. But at the time, they were just 'hanging out with Kurt', which I might add, I really miss." admitted Blaine.

"I'm all for continuing them, but on a weekly basis. During our little time-out, I've realized I need to reach out and make friends. It's a new experience for me being accepted for who I am rather than rejected because someone might 'catch the gay'."

Blaine nodded his head somewhat sadly. Just as Kurt was starting to realize just how much he didn't really need Blaine for every little thing and how strong he was, Blaine was starting to realize how much he needed Kurt in his life.

They reached Kurt's car as he said "What do you say we have a steady 'coffee date' on Wednesdays after Warbler practice at our coffee shop?"

Blaine could hear the quotes around "coffee date" without seeing them. "Sure. I'll see you then."

Kurt didn't move to offer Blaine a hug and got into his car. Blaine just turned and walked back to his dorm room. He texted Wes and David that he had two tickets to Billy Elliot for tonight on a first come, first serve basis.

Wes won.

**~.oOo.~**

A/N: This originally was going to end with Blaine showing up with the tickets ala Mystery Date. But it seemed rather shallow, so I wondered where it would go if Kurt just stopped depending on Blaine to be his whole world. Darren Criss has hinted that this is the direction of Kurt and Blaine's interaction, so I thought I'd explore that.


	2. Dating

**A/N: I thought of this first as one-shot but as I wrote it, it turned into something multi-chapter. This fic contains spoilers to the movie A SINGLE MAN.**

**I've got some ideas from other authors. If you see something that was in your story, it may very well be. Thanks in advance.**

**Secret Admirer / Ch. 2 - Dating**

Author: TerribleSpy

Rating: T

Characters: Kurt, Blaine, Jeff

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee. I just want to play in that universe.

**~.oOo.~**

Kurt continued to get occasional emails from his secret admirer. The latest was cute post from the LOLcats sites showing Elija Wood being made up prior to filming a scene from the **Lord of the Rings** with the caption "One does not simply walk into Mordor…before looking absolutely fabulous." Kurt thought of his favorite hobbit, Blaine. He would have sent this onto Blaine if they had still had that sort of relationship. Anyone else would have used it to tease Blaine, so he just deleted the email.

Kurt went on a coffee date with Flint. It turned out they didn't have much in common, but that was what dating was about, wasn't it?

A couple days later, Kurt asked Jeff if he'd like to watch a movie. He had a copy of **Ratatouille** and had heard that Jeff liked to cook. Jeff showed up at his room with a copy of **Single Man** and they watched both, laughing at lines like "It tastes sort of 'lightningy'" and crying. Jeff started bawling at the scene were George, an English professor attempting to recover from the death of his partner 8 months before, finds Kenny, one of his students, who he'd gone skinny dipping with the night before asleep on his couch wearing just a towel. George gently takes the gun he'd been planning to use to kill himself with from the sleeping boy's grasp and locks it away in his desk. _I'd sure want to live if I had Nicholas Hoult to come home to, towel or no towel,_ thought Kurt.

Kurt paused the movie and gave Jeff the box of Kleenex from his bathroom. He didn't ask for an explanation. They ended up cuddling for the rest of the movie. When Kurt sobbed uncontrollably at the end, Jeff just held him and offered him tissues. _What a great first date,_ thought Kurt. _Even though we didn't say it was date. Quite a change from Disney or Harry Potter._

"You dance, right?" asked Kurt.

"Yeah. Ballet since I was 6, modern, and some ballroom." said Jeff.

"I have tickets to **Billy Elliot** for this weekend. Want to go?"

Jeff's face lit up like it was Christmas. "Umh. Yeah! But what about Blaine?" asked Jeff somewhat hesitantly.

"What about him? We aren't dating or boyfriends or whatever we were before Valentine's Day. I'm asking you."

Jeff's grin widened. "Sure. Can I take you to dinner beforehand?"

"That would be lovely. It's a date." smiled Kurt.

Jeff leaned over and gave Kurt a big hug, very different from the one he'd given Nick the day of their Warbler auditions. "I should probably be getting back. It's late."

Jeff went back to his dorm room a very happy boy. He had a date with Kurt Hummel.

**~.oOo.~**

That Wednesday, Kurt and Blaine confined their coffee date conversation to Wes' Warbler assignment-"find an anthem". Regionals will be judged this year on how well each group performs material representing the theme ANTHEM. Wikipedia mentioned "a song of celebration", which gave them something to work with. Kurt thought it should be timeless and iconic. Both Kurt and Blaine realized that most of the Warbler's repertoire was from top 40s hits and none in recent years would be called any sort of anthem.

Blaine was totally up for writing an original anthem. He loved song writing for both pop and musical theater. Kurt was thinking in the other direction-expand the Warbler's repertoire of songs and add some serious choreography. Sue Sylvester was coaching Aural Intensity and she was not someone to be underestimated. The up-side is that her teaching style was intimidation rather than Will Shuester's inspiration. And Kurt had helped Coach Sylvester capture the National cheerleading championship last year, so he knew how she worked.

"You know Wes and David really well, right?" asked Kurt.

"They're my oldest and best friends here at Dalton." said Blaine.

Kurt was tentative. "Wes always seems so formal and stodgy. David at least smiled at my cat story. I'm wondering if I come up with an arrangement from something outside the Warbler's canon, if they'd be open to considering it. And would they be interested in learning some sort choreography?"

"It depends. If it's from Broadway and has 'only Kurt could sing this' written all over it, I don't think they'd go for it." said Blaine. "What did you have in mind?"

"I'm thinking of **Rock and Roll Music**, which you'd totally rock, and **Bridge Over Troubled Water** which we could work into an amazing duet." said Kurt.

"Those songs would be amazing. I'll talk to Wes and David about broadening our scope and think about writing something. You work on an arrangements."

**~.oOo.~**

Kurt had some big assignments due in the next few days. Jeff was in those classes with him and they decided to work together. Kurt had to reassure a somewhat neurotic Jeff that he wasn't pushing himself on Kurt. It was kind of nice to just hang out in each other's company. With Blaine, there was this tension in the air between them since Valentine's day and Kurt didn't feel comfortable studying with him any more.

As they were finishing for the night, Jeff asked "Can you swing by my room a little early, say 5pm on Saturday? There's a little thing I have to do for my dad's yahrzeit. He died three years ago from a heart attack and I want to light a candle for him. There's a song I sing with it."

"I'm sorry about your dad. My mom died when I was 8 and my dad was in the hospital last year recovering from a heart attack. I felt so alone even though my friends were all there to help and support me."

"You were really close to your glee club at McKinley, weren't you?" asked Jeff.

"I still am. I go home whenever I can to be with my family. Up until recently, I was closer to New Directions than the Warblers. Blaine sorta became my life here at Dalton." said Kurt.

"I always wondered where you went on weekends. After your solo audition, I really wanted to get know you better and ask you out, but you only had eyes for Mr. Dapper Soloist. We're all glad to see you finally reaching out and making friends."

"We?" asked Kurt.

"The guys. Me, Nick, Flint, even Wes and David. You've got a great voice and amazing talent. I hope you get a chance at a solo. You'd be awesome." Jeff seemed really excited about this.

Kurt colored with the praise. "Well, all lessons in humility and 'fitting in' aside, I have a question about that. Blaine and I are working on some stuff for Regionals and I wonder with your dance background what you think about it."

"You and Blaine?" Jeff said somewhat disheartened.

"Yes, we meet for coffee weekly to stay connected. Just because I'm not romantically interested in him any more doesn't mean I'm going to discount his talent and friendship. I think we work well together. Anyway, if you had to choreograph **Rock and Roll Music**, what sort of dance would you do?"

Jeff's eyes lit up. "You know, in the year I've been on the Warblers, no one's ever asked me that. There are bunch of guys with dance backgrounds but all we do is shuffle back and forth."

"Blaine and I are trying to change that as well as broadening the song selection. Otherwise, I fear the Warblers will be in 3rd place at Regionals this year." said Kurt.

"Let me talk it over with the guys and I'll get back to you." Jeff gave Kurt a hug but before he could break away, Kurt kissed him on the cheek. Jeff smiled and blushed. "I'll see you at 5 on Saturday."

**~.oOo.~**

Kurt decided to "tone down" his clothing choice for his dinner and theater date with Jeff. He decided on a white colored button-down, black pants, and an elegant long black coat. It was still chilly outside.

He knocked on Jeff's door at 5 sharp. Jeff greeted him again with a hug. _He really likes to do that. I could really get used to it._ thought Kurt. He was also chosen 'dressy casual' in colors that suited his pale skin.

Jeff put on an ornately embroidered kepah or skullcap (Kurt noticed the Hebrew characters on it and wondered if it had been made for him), lit a candle in a glass jar, and mumbled some words rocking back and forth. The only word Kurt heard clearly was "A-mein" at the end, which wasn't that different from what he recalled in church.

Jeff sat in his study chair, took up his guitar, and began to sing, filling in with sparse chords

_God - our heavenly Father.  
Oh, God - and my father  
Who is also in heaven.  
May the light  
Of this flickering candle  
Illuminate the night the way  
Your spirit illuminates my soul._

_Papa, can you hear me?_

Kurt flashed back to his father's hospital room with Rachel singing this song. He was still in shock back then and couldn't cry. Surprisingly rather than a flood, Kurt's tears came very slowly, one at a time. At some point, he scooted closer to Jeff and quietly hummed the song with him.

Both Jeff and Kurt reached for the Kleenex box when Jeff was finished. Jeff put away his guitar and kepah, moved the burning candle to the bathroom sink, got his coat and they were off.

In the car, Jeff said "Oh by the way, you look absolutely terrific tonight. I was so worried I look like a slob after imagining your legendary wardrobe."

Kurt snorted "My wardrobe is legendary?"

"Yeah, kinda. You kvetch about not being able to wear it all the time. I sort of painted a picture of the Closet on **Ugly Betty**."

"Well, I do miss not being able to wear some of my better pieces. But I'll live. You, by the way, look great. Did you get your colors done? I'm having a hard time imagining a teenage boy picking those colors. But they work for you as do the lines of the clothes." said Kurt.

"Fashion wasn't something I was interested in or had any attention on. When Yves Saint Laurent died, I was curious about phrases like 'trapeze dress' they used in the articles, so I Googled him. He was a real ground breaker. All the things he did for woman's fashion shaped the 60s through the 80s. Mom had to have a talk with me about not wearing stripes with plaid when I was 14. But once I know the basic rules, I just know what looks good on me."

Kurt snorted at the idea of having to have such a talk with a child about fashion and that they might even listen.

The restaurant was perfect, simple food, nicely prepared, quiet with subdued lighting and attentive staff that didn't bat an eye at two boys obviously out on a date. Kurt found many things that interested him on the menu rather than just ordering a large salad.

"Where did you find this place?" asked Kurt.

"Well, I sort of noticed what you ate in the dinning hall these past few days and went from there. I like to eat healthy too. I hope that doesn't sound to creepy and stalkery." Jeff confessed a little tensely.

Kurt smiled "You noticed what I was eating? That's kind of…endearing. And yes, kind of stalkery. But I don't mind."

The conversation flowed back and forth as they talked about their lives, coming out, family, and friends. Over a shared tiramisu, they finally started talking about Kurt and Blaine's ideas for Regionals. The other guys were really into the idea. Kurt told Jeff about presenting it to the Council next week and Jeff said the guys would have something ready by then.

Kurt found it interesting that **Billy Elliot** was great, but he would remember the time he spent with Jeff over dinner in more detail.


	3. Demo

**A/N: I've got some ideas from other authors. If you see something that was in your story, it may very well be. Thanks in advance.**

**Secret Admirer / Ch. 3 - Demo**

Author: TerribleSpy

Rating: T

Characters: Kurt, Blaine, Jeff

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee. I just want to play in that universe.

**~.oOo.~**

_Where does this guy find these things?_ wondered Kurt. _At least, he's not buying tickets to shows that will go to waste._ The secret admirer email's contained a link from the BlogFAIL site showing a picture of a bow tie in a pink plastic box labeled EMERGENCY BOW TIE…FOR ALL FORMAL OCCASIONS. There was also a link to a **Fresh Aire** Interview with Grant Achatz, a high-end chef who specialized in molecular gastronomy and avant guarde food. He'd lost his taste temporarily due to tongue cancer. Listening to that interview, Kurt was amazed both at the extent of what this guy did with food and what he went through recovering from cancer. Kurt wasn't half the foodie that Jeff was but the idea of having something stripped from you that's so fundamental to who you are, like a chef not being able to taste, made Kurt stop and think. _What would I do if I couldn't sing?_ He forwarded the email to Jeff with a note "Thought you'd like this~/K".

Then another thought occurred to Kurt. _Should I be encouraging this guy?_ It _had_ to be one of the Warblers. They were the only ones that knew Kurt and Jeff had spent time together. Whoever this secret admirer was also knew Kurt all to well.

Kurt left an untied bow tie tacked to his door before leaving for breakfast that morning. When he went back for books for his afternoon classes, there was Post It with a little happy face stuck under the bow tie. _This is sort of getting creepy._ thought Kurt.

**~.oOo.~**

Jeff. Mercedes and Finn wanted to meet him for probably the same reasons.

"Cedes, we're just friends." said Kurt over the phone that evening.

"Ah huh. Yeah, like you trade in one not-boyfriend for another when the old one has an identity crisis." Mercedes was in fine snippy form tonight. _ I must come off as really fickle, tossing one boy for another._ thought Kurt.

"I'm still friends with Blaine." Kurt said petulantly. "He's an amazing performer. We have coffee every week."

"So he's not the one you want to ride off with into the sunset and make gay babies with?" she asked pointedly.

"That's just it. I had that feeling when we met. I mean, he sang **Teenage Dream** to me in a room full of boys, smiling and winking right at me the whole time. And he helped me with all the bullying. But that glowing crush feeling is gone. He's just _Blaine_ now.

"Jeff is different. We hang out. We talk. There's a little flirting. But I don't feel like he's trying to rescue me from anything. He's just there.

"And David mentioned that I might be a little co-dependent with Blaine. You remember David?" Kurt knew full well that Mercedes and David had this "admire from afar" thing going on.

"Co-what?" Mercedes asked. Kurt had looked it up as it wasn't covered in his AP Psychology class. He did not like what he had read. It spoke to closely of Kurt and Blaine's pre-blowup relationship, with Kurt being so much a victim and Blaine constantly trying to fix his problems.

"Wikipedia is your friend. You might find it enlightening, given the level of drama amongst the various members of New Directions." Kurt heard faint key clicks in the background.

"Oh. My. God. Someone needs to talk to Rachel and Finn." said Mercedes.

"What fun would that be?" said Kurt innocently.

"I always knew you could be evil. Just remember, with great power comes great responsibility." said Mercedes.

Kurt snorted. "That sounds like something Jeff would say."

"What about this boy? When am I going to meet him?"

"Over Easter break. The Warblers will be rehearsing for Regionals a lot, but we managed to get some time off. Jeff invited me to a Passover Seder at his home in Columbus and he's coming over that weekend for Easter dinner. I'll have to make sure Carol doesn't make a ham."

**~.oOo.~**

The next morning, Jeff met up with Kurt at breakfast wearing a big grin and giving Kurt a little shoulder bump as they stood in line at the dining hall's breakfast bar.

"So you liked that?" asked Kurt.

"Oh yeah. It's obvious to me why you have a secret admirer. Count me in as one of the not-so-secret ones." said Jeff. Kurt blushed a little.

Kurt had his usual fresh fruit, yoghurt, and orange juice while Jeff had cottage cheese, banana, a toasted bagel, cream cheese, and juice. This was the first time they'd eaten breakfast together and Kurt's eyebrow went up on noticing Jeff's breakfast choices.

"What? I need carbs and protein in the morning or I'll never make it to lunch. The bagel is for later with my morning cuppa." said Jeff a little defensively.

"Oh. You're a tea drinker. That settles it. We can never be together." said Kurt playfully as they sat down to eat.

"My grandmother got up every morning at 6am to plug in the coffee pot for grandfather even though she can't stand the taste of coffee. If she can do it, so can I. Anyway they make coffee makers with Ardino-based controllers you can trigger from a smartphone or via the web or in a cron job. If they don't, I could cobble something together. Plug in a coffee pot at 6am? Feh." Jeff was grinning, playing along with Kurt.

"Listen to you." Kurt said.

"I do drink _good_ coffee, when I'm in the mood. But a good cuppa in the morning and afternoon is more _me_. We should have afternoon tea sometime. I'll make scones."

"They'll let you use the ovens here to bake?" Kurt said somewhat surprised. He'd saved up his stress-baking urges for when he went home on the weekends, often leaving several dozen cookies for Burt, Carol, and mostly Finn.

"I have my ways." Jeff smiled mysteriously.

"Oh, before I forget, are we all set for our little demo at Warbler practice this afternoon?" asked Kurt.

"We are. When I mentioned your idea to some of the guys, they were really excited. We spent some time over the weekend working on some things. It's rough but should be enough to illustrate where we might go. How's the orchestration going?"

"I'm done with my tracks. Blaine and I rehearsed the numbers on Sunday. Now if we can only convince the Council to listen to us…" Kurt sounded a little worried.

"Relax. Blaine is on the debating team. Wes, David, and Thad are helpless against his Jedi mind tricks." Jeff said with a grin.

**~.oOo.~**

The Warbler meeting opened as usual with Wes banging his gavel. Blaine had already spoken to the Council about their ideas. He made it clear it wasn't an audition, just a demonstration of a concept. Kurt started the MP3 player. The track was mostly Kurt doing a quiet baseline to imitate a solo piano. Kurt started singing quietly, following the original recording's arrangement.

_When you're weary, feeling small  
When tears are in your eyes,  
I will dry them all (all)  
_

Kurt continued, his voice perfectly carrying the song. At some point, there were beat box symbols. Then a bass guitar. _Was that Kurt?_ thought Wes, somewhat shocked. The background now sounded like a string orchestra made of voices. Blaine joined Kurt in the next verse.

_Sail on silver girl  
Sail on by  
Your time has come to shine_

Kurt took over the rest of the song making it soar as only he could.

_Oh, if you need a friend  
I'm sailing right behind  
Like a bridge over troubled water  
I will ease your mind_

Kurt knew it worked when there was utter silence for a full 10 seconds before room erupted in applause. _Just like __**Defying **__**Gravity**_ thought Kurt. Wes and David both looked stunned.

Blaine grinned. "But wait…there's more." Kurt selected the next track which started with a beat box drum beat. Blaine opened his mouth and just wailed.

_Just let me hear some of that rock and roll music,  
Any old way you choose it.  
It's got a back beat, you can't blues it,  
Any old time you use it.  
It's gotta be rock roll music,  
If you wanna dance with me._

Until Blaine tried to sing this song in rehearsal, he didn't know how hard it was to perform flat out. To give him a rest, Kurt joined in for the rest of the song. The two voices meshed perfectly.

_I've got no kick against modern jazz,  
Unless they try to play it too darn fast.  
And lose the beauty of the melody,  
Until they sound just like a symphony._

Ahead of time, some of the guys had taken time to clear out space so they could do some of the dance steps. One by one, Jeff, Nick, and 4 other guys joined in to perform a series of salsa spins, back flips, and other steps. Kurt cringed when he saw the backflips in the confined space, but Nick was spotting Jeff to make sure he didn't get hurt. Additional recorded voices to fill out the verses joined in the backing track because at about half way, you could tell Blaine was running out of gas. Kurt and a recording of Blaine ended up finishing the song._ We're going to have to rework that to be an ensemble piece, cut it, and put it last so Blaine doesn't hurt himself_. thought Kurt.

All Warblers were on their feet when the song ended. Wes, David, and Thad were all wearing huge grins. Wes called for order.

"Gentlemen, do we have a couple anthems here?" said Wes.

Needless to say, it was unanimous.

**~.oOo.~**

A/N: I'm having lots of fun with random stuff I come across on the net or in my life thinking how it might be good to send it to Kurt. So far, that's the loose framework around this story.


	4. PopTarts

**A/N: This chapter started out differently, then I saw The Adjustment Bureau and it changed (i.e. was rewritten) and got longer. So I split it into two parts. I'm still trying to figure out where this fic is heading. For now, the characters are driving it.**

**The page with the pop tart recipe is ****lifehacker.#!5777078/ make-wholesome-homemade-pop+tarts**** (add protocol, slashes, and remove spaces).**

**I've got some ideas from other authors. If you see something that was in your story, it may very well be. Thanks in advance.**

**Secret Admirer / Ch. 4 - Pop-Tarts**

Author: TerribleSpy

Rating: T

Characters: Kurt, Jeff, Blaine (no KLAINE, sorry)

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee. I just want to play in that universe.

**~.oOo.~**

_A recipe for home-made pop tarts?_ thought Kurt. _This guy is must be Warbler, knowing that I stress bake._ Somehow, Kurt felt this guy had crossed a line. He forwarded the email to Jeff with a note.

**Do you think this is going a little overboard? This guy is getting all stalkery with this. Any way to trace it? Thanks in advance~/K**

Jeff's reply was almost instantaneous. **Breakfast?-j**

Kurt texted him. He was probably downstairs already using his phone rather than his laptop. **On my way~/K**

Kurt had noticed Blaine in the dining hall sitting with Wes and David, smiled, and nodded to them as he walked past to sit with Jeff. Jeff smiled as Kurt sat down opposite him with his breakfast.

"I have a few things to say about that email." began Jeff. "First, you realize that I'm now president of the Kurt Hummel appreciation society, right?" Kurt blushed. "So when the HOME-MADE POP TART REVOLUTION begins, I'll be spared?" Kurt smiled and snorted.

"Seriously, if you start making those and giving them away, you will be _so_ popular, I'll never get a space on your dance card for another date. And I so want another one." said Jeff blushing a little.

Kurt smiled "Yeah, me too. You mentioned tea with scones. Saturday?" suggested Kurt.

"How about a matinee and tea afterwards at my house in Columbus? Say, Saturday at 1pm?" offered Jeff.

"It's a date. Now, what about my secret stalker?"

"Technically, it would be easier to just forward the email to the Warbler's mailing list asking the guys if they think this is sort of stalkery or creepy. What about it bothers you?" asked Jeff.

"I told you about Karovsky."

"The bully at McKinley who threatened you? Yeah." said Jeff.

As Kurt told Jeff the whole Karovsky story, Jeff's eyes widened. "I see now why you clung to Blaine when you came here. But, I don't see how Karovsky could know all this stuff about you. Seriously, just forward it to the guys for advice. And don't say I didn't warn you about new friends seeking pop tarts."

**~.oOo.~**

They decided to make scones and try the pop-tart recipe at Jeff's house on Saturday afternoon rather than going to a movie. Kurt wanted to change out of his skinny jeans and cashmere sweater, but Jeff assured him they had "industrial strength" aprons for cooking. _His sense of humor is just __weird__ but I kinda like it. _thought Kurt.

Jeff's mom and 14-year-old sister weren't home when Jeff and Kurt arrived, so the boys went into the kitchen, donned commercial chef's aprons, and got to work. Kurt seemed apprehensive about cooking in the sweater, so Jeff lent him an old Warbler's T-shirt.

Jeff perused the recipe for the pop-tart crust and fillings, checked the cabinets and found all the supplies they'd need for both the crust, two fillings, and scones. He set the oven for the scones, since prep for the pop-tarts took longer, printed out the recipe and laid out the ingredients. "You up to doing the scones? They're just a lightly sweet, low-fat, biscuit dough with currents or raisins and glazed with egg yolk to be fancy. Or you can put in whatever tickles your fancy." Kurt nodded and smiled at the idea of cooking with Jeff.

"The crust for these is kind of tricky and I'm going to make a triple batch. We'll bake them off tomorrow if you're up to staying over." said Jeff.

"Sure. The would be fun." Kurt blushed. _Jeff wants to have a sleepover? With me?_

Jeff took out a huge Cuisinart from one of the cabinets, got a mixing bowl and spoon for Kurt, and laid measuring cups and spoons. They got to work.

Kurt had the scones baking by the time Jeff had the dough rolled out and chilling in the fridge. "Shall we have tea more formally or just go alfresco?" asked Jeff.

"Actually, I'd love a cup of coffee. Several. I hope that's OK." said Kurt as they clean up the kitchen and Kurt changed back into his sweater.

"Sure, I have a specialty blend from an uncle in San Francisco. Starbucks doesn't do varietal drip coffee any more, just that Pike's Peak crap." said Jeff.

Jeff waited until the scones came out of the oven before preparing the coffee and a pot of tea. They were about to sit down when Jeff's mom and sister came in through the front door.

"Mmmm. Smells like Jeff's home for a visit. Or we've had a drive-by baking accident." _Maybe that sense of humor runs in the family,_ thought Kurt.

"In here Luce, mom." said Jeff somewhat nervously. "Mom, Lucy, this is Kurt."

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Shapiro. Lucy." said Kurt.

"Nice to meet you Kurt. Please call me Rose." Kurt smiled.

"We were just about to sit down to some tea and coffee." offered Kurt. "Jeff wanted to try a home made pop-tart recipe I found and showed me how to make scones. And his coffee is terrific."

Rose smiled. Lucy smirked. "Nice one Jeff. Not only is he cute but you've got yourself a kitchen slave to boot. Are you that counter-whatever?"

"Lucy! Just remember what goes around comes around. You can expect some awkward questions of a boy you bring home in a few years." Jeff said frowning, noting Kurt's growing blush.

"Pooh. You'll be away at college." she said petulantly.

"I'll find a way." replied Jeff.

"You two are impossible. Sit. Have tea. I thought I'd have peace in this house when you both got older, but you still fight like two three year olds." said Rose exasperated.

Kurt was new to the whole sibling experience and found this very amusing. "Yes, I'm a counter-tenor in the Warblers. And it may not be my place to say so, but it's not nice to torture your bother. That's my job." Kurt nudged Jeff's shoulder, but Jeff was still turning red.

Lucy snorted. "Oh. I like him."

"Uhm. Mom, would it be OK if Kurt stayed over? We'd like to go to a movie tonight and it will be to late to get back into the dorms."

"Sure, honey. I'll make up the couch in your room for him." she said.

"What are you going to see?" asked Lucy.

"Sorry, Luce. I was thinking of **The Adjustment Bureau**. If you want to see Alex Petifer's abs, you'll have to go with your friends." Jeff said with a grin. "She has a thing for man candy. Not that I don't share it, but hey I've got my own kitchen slave now." Kurt colored.

As they were walking out the door, Jeff smiled "What was that about torturing me?"

**~.oOo.~**

A/N: I am truly turning in to a Glee fangirl. I'm starting to see movies plots with the thought "what would it be like if the Glee characters were in this?" (specifically Blaine or Jeff or Kurt) or "That would be a neat thing to put in a story." Armistead Maupin mentioned this phenomenon in one of his novels (**The Night Listener**, I think). Every little thing that might be used for a story gets captured, examined (oh, shiny!), and cataloged for later use either as is or embellished. Should I be worried?

I'm also having lots of fun with random stuff I come across on the net or in my life thinking how it might be good to send it to Kurt. So far, that's the loose framework around this story.


	5. Sleepover

**A/N: This chapter started out differently, then I saw THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU and it changed (i.e. was rewritten). I'm still trying to figure out where this fic is heading. For now, the characters are driving it. **

**This chapter has total spoilers for THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU at the end. Don't read this if you don't want to know how the movie ends.**

**I've got some ideas from other authors. If you see something that was in your story, it may very well be. Thanks in advance.**

**Secret Admirer / Ch. 5 - Sleepover**

Author: TerribleSpy

Rating: T+

Characters: Kurt, Jeff, Blaine (no KLAINE, sorry)

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee. I just want to play in that universe.

**~.oOo.~**

**The Adjustment Bureau** was playing at the local cineplex. Kurt was unconvinced that a sci-fi romantic thriller was possible, but Jeff reminded him of **Inception**, which Kurt liked and he could still recall key scenes. _Well, __**The Adjustment Bureau **__does__ have Matt Damon. Maybe there'll be a shower scene like in __**School Ties**__,_ thought Kurt.

After the show, they drove to Jeff's house in silence, both deep in thought. Kurt hated the film's premise-that the human race had no free will, was being _managed,_ and everyone's life had a predetermined plan. He wasn't ready to talk about it just yet, but it made him think about Blaine. And Jeff.

At Jeff's house, they found Rose watching a PBS mystery and Lucy was up in her room "talking" to her friends over the 'net.

Before going into the kitchen, Jeff said "Mom, we're going to make a little supper, just soup and a sandwich. I'll be sure to clean up before we head on up to bed."

"Thank you so much for your hospitality, Mrs…uhm…Rose." Kurt said as she smiled at him.

"Oh, you're more than welcome, Kurt. This one has always been interested in food. When he was 8 and Lucy was 5, we were visiting the Caswells. And Laura asked Jeff if he'd like something to eat."

"Mooommm!" whined Jeff as he turned red.

"And do you know what he said? He said 'Do you have any brie?' and Lucy said 'I want goat cheese.'" Rose said chuckling. "A regular Alton Brown. It's so nice he found someone to cook with."

"Well, it's fun and we can exchange recipes. I haven't had someone to cook with for years." Kurt said.

"What about your mother, dear?" Rose asked.

"Uhm…she died when I was 8. Until recently, it's just been me and my dad." Kurt said quietly. He never knew how people would react to news of his mother's death. He'd dealt with it over the years, but often times, he had to deal with their reactions.

Rose didn't bat an eye. "I'm so sorry dear. But you seem to be holding up. Now go, enjoy your snack." and she went back to her program.

"Mom doesn't feel that grief should get in the way of eating." said Jeff as they walked into the kitchen.

"Alton Brown, huh? That's about right." said Kurt to Jeff's grin.

Jeff put on an apron, attempting to ignore Kurt's comment. "So, how does leek and potato soup with an open-faced grilled cheese sandwich sound?"

"You really don't have to go to so much trouble." Kurt said.

"Watch and learn, Padawan."

Kurt rolled his eyes. Twenty minutes later, Jeff set a bowl of soup with garlic toast slathered with mascarpone cheese, chives and small mound of frisée in front of Kurt. He smiled and said "Bon Appetite" in a remarkable Julia Child imitation before he took a bite of his own sandwich.

Kurt snorted. "If I hadn't watched you make that, I would not have believed that it's just leeks, potatoes, chicken stock, and cream. I'll have to find a low fat version to make for my dad."

Kurt tasted the soup. It was delicious and so simple to make. "I take it from Lucy's comment that I'm the first boy you've brought home to cook with." Jeff smiled and nodded. "And just so you know, I really like cooking with you." said Kurt smiling back.

Kurt paused to have some more of his sandwich. "You were awfully quiet in the car on the way home. Is everything OK?"

"Well, that movie got me thinking about things…uhm about you and Blaine…uhm…and me." said Jeff quietly, looking down into his bowl of soup.

Kurt spoke softly. "Me too. If I had seen that film before Valentine's Day, I would have told you I felt Blaine and I were destined to be together. But not now." Jeff looked up. "It's like it's all been rewritten. But I do know it's _not_ Blaine. And while he'd be just fine following along with some plan and fitting in, I would do whatever it took to fight for my own destiny and write my own plan."

_That's not what I thought you'd say_, thought a surprised Jeff. "Yeah. I felt that way about my destiny, too." he said quietly.

They finished their meal and cleaned up the kitchen. They said good night to Rose and headed on up to Jeff's room.

"Your mom is kinda cool about you having a sleepover, especially with someone who 'likes to cook' with her son." Kurt said all flirty which caused Jeff to blush.

"My dad kinda freaked when he came into my room the Sunday morning after Rachel's party to find Blaine asleep in my bed." Jeff looked down at the floor sadly.

"It's not what you think." Kurt said quickly realizing that he'd phrased this all wrong. He explained the events of Rachel's party, the aftermath, the fight with Blaine over coffee and his dad's talk about the inappropriateness of gay sleepovers.

"I would have given anything to seen Mr. Perfect Soloist drunk as skunk and macking on a girl." said Jeff very much relieved.

He handed Kurt a pair of his sleeping pants, a t-shirt, and a new toothbrush. "Here, you can change in the bathroom."

"Thanks." Kurt went into Jeff's bathroom. _How do I feel about Jeff?_ Kurt had been asking himself this question since the movie. Jeff didn't try to fix Kurt's problems. Instead he just _listened_ to them. He was fun to hang out with and talk to, spoke his mind, and, yes, cook with. He was also cute and athletic in his own way. _The more time I spend with him, the more time I want to get to know him better. Being around him is so different from Finn and Blaine._

Kurt finished changing and brushed his teeth. _What if I ask Jeff how he feels and he says no?_

Kurt emerged from the bathroom to find Jeff already changed, sitting on his bed clearly pondering something.

"Do you want to watch a movie or turn in? It's still kinda early." asked Jeff as Kurt joined him sitting on Jeff's bed.

"Can I ask you a personal question?" asked Kurt. Jeff nodded uneasily.

"Have you ever…uhm…gone out on a romantic date or been anyone's boyfriend?" Kurt asked tentatively.

Jeff said quietly, now really uncomfortable "I went for coffee with a guy last year. We started hanging out and watching movies. Finally, I got up the nerve to ask him on a date."

Jeff looked down into his lap and continued "He had no idea I felt that way. And…he didn't. So we stopped hanging out. It was to awkward. It still is."

"That sucks." said Kurt, reaching over to hold Jeff's hand. Jeff smiled wanly. Kurt didn't feel it was his place to ask who it was even if they weren't at Dalton any more. "I had the same problem. How did you get up the courage to ask him out? That was really hard for me to do with Blaine."

"The more time I spent with him, what I felt…my feelings for him grew stronger. I just got, you know, so tired of waiting for something, anything, to happen. I finally realized that courage was just being scared and doing it anyway. So I asked him." Jeff said quietly.

Kurt drew a sharp breath. "What…what did you say?"

"So I asked him to go out with me only to have him say he wanted to be friends. Only I couldn't go back to that." said Jeff, obviously miserable.

"I mean about courage." said Kurt.

Jeff looked up. "It's something I read somewhere. Courage is being scared and…"

Jeff didn't get a chance to finish as Kurt had pulled Jeff close to him, his arms around Jeff's neck and was kissing him gently. Startled, it took a minute for Jeff's arms to encircle Kurt's waist. Kurt could feel Jeff's smile as they kissed and drew him closer as Jeff sighed. Jeff's tongue started exploring Kurt's lower lip and Kurt gasped, pulling back.

"I've been such an idiot." said Kurt as Jeff pulled him into a hug.

"Yeah. Kinda. If all it took was some cheesy new-age quote to get you to kiss me, I woulda come up with something sooner." Jeff smiled and pulled Kurt in for another kiss. This time there was no hesitancy as their lips found each other's. Tongues began tentatively exploring mouths. Jeff gasped as Kurt started nibbling on his left earlobe and inhaling the faint scent of cologne. Kurt reacted similarly when Jeff kissed his way ever so lightly down Kurt's neck, ending at Kurt's collarbone. Eventually, Jeff broke off.

"Wait. Was this your first kiss?" Jeff asked.

"Well, the first boy kiss, the one that counted. Why did I have to kiss you first?" Kurt wanted to get back to business.

"Uhm…Karovsky?" said Jeff "I thought you'd freak if I made a move beyond hugging, so I just kept telling you I liked you and wanted to spend time with you."

"The irony your situation is not lost on me. At least, you got a 'I just want to be friends' and could move on. I got 'I don't want to screw this up'."

"Uhm. There's…more." Now Jeff was really uncomfortable. "It was Blaine I was hanging out with, who said he just wanted to just be friends. That's why I kept asking about you and him. I wanted to know if you still had feelings for him."

Kurt didn't know what to say. Jeff was watching him, wondering if Kurt would be pissed or feel betrayed or go all überbitch on Jeff. Kurt surprised Jeff.

"Huh. Blaine wasn't kidding when he said he was clueless, didn't know what he was doing, and that he sucked at romance." Kurt said finally. Jeff was still looking at Kurt, who twisted to end up straddling Jeff on the bed.

"He had his chance. Come 'er and kiss me." Kurt said. Jeff was very happy to oblige pulling Kurt against him. Eventually, they broke apart, but after significant tentage occurred down south. "Uhm…", said Jeff somewhat embarrassed. "I'm kinda old fashioned and would rather take things slowly. I hope that's OK."

"Slow is good." said Kurt smiling.

"Is it going to fast to cuddle? I'd like to try falling asleep holding you." Jeff said shyly.

"I tend to thrash around so if you have shin guards, you may need them." Kurt said warningly. Jeff shook his head. "If I'm to restless, I'll move to the couch." said Kurt.

Jeff smiled. "OK. Do you want big or little spoon." Kurt looked confused. "Uhm…front or back?" Jeff was turning slightly pink.

"I think I'll fit better in front, don't you?" said Kurt. Jeff just nodded and they laid down, adjusted the pillows, Kurt nestled himself against Jeff, their legs sort of became a jumble, and Jeff wrapped his arms around Kurt. "You OK?" asked Kurt. It was so nice and _warm_. Jeff covered them with a light blanket but Kurt didn't think he'd need it. Jeff turned off the reading light over the bed.

"Mmmm. Good night, Kurt." as he kissed Kurt's ear, hugged him and finally relaxed. "Good night, Jeff." as Kurt kissed Jeff's palm.

The next thing Kurt knew, it was morning. He hadn't slept like that in like, forever. Or maybe when he'd taken Nyquil. Something was poking against him and it wasn't a finger. _Oh, awkward._ thought Kurt as he tried to extricate himself from Jeff's embrace without waking him.

Jeff chuckled sleepily. "Yeah. I'm still trying to figure out if waking up in a cabin full of teenage boys all with morning wood in summer camp is my greatest nightmare or greatest fantasy. Sometimes there's a ruler involved." Kurt turned red and made a face.

"Who knew it's kind of a universal thing? No banana jokes, I promise. And you so totally rock bangs, sir." said Jeff continuing to tease Kurt as he closed the bathroom door.

Kurt did his business, brushed his teeth, and squeaked as he looked in the mirror. He tried his best to put his hair back in place but it was hopeless. When Kurt emerged, Jeff was sitting awkwardly on the bed with his knees together and hands in his lap. _Good, he's not completely shameless._ thought Kurt.

"I'll just be quick and we can talk about the rest of the day."

Jeff closed the bathroom door. In the meantime, Kurt made himself useful, folding the sheets Rose had put down for him on the couch and making Jeff's bed. The bathroom door opened and Jeff chuckled.

"What?" said Kurt as his left eyebrow went up.

Jeff came over and planted a kiss on Kurt's willing lips. "Good morning."

"What was funny about me making the bed?" asked Kurt.

"A couple things. One is that my sister would love you. She's less than domestic sometimes. The other involves a French maid's outfit." Kurt turned red. "Kidding! We can bake off the pop-tarts, clean up, have lunch, and head back to Dalton. Sound good?"

**~.oOo.~**

When they returned to Dalton that afternoon wearing the same clothes they left with the day before and with Kurt hair unstyled, Jeff's and Kurt's roommates just smirked. Kurt texted all the Warblers about the pop-tarts being available in the Senior Commons for teatime, bring your own tea. They went fast and Jeff was right. Kurt did make some new friends even though he kept telling people Jeff had made this batch.

Even though Jeff and Kurt's behavior hadn't changed much, people could tell they were "together". They made it official over breakfast.

**~.oOo.~**

A/N: This just kept going and going and going. And the next chapter also started surfacing in the middle of this one.


	6. Leaks

**A/N: I've got some ideas from other authors. If you see something that was in your story, it may very well be. Thanks in advance.**

**Secret Admirer / Ch. 6 - Leaks**

Author: TerribleSpy

Rating: T+

Characters: Kurt, Jeff, Blaine (no KLAINE, sorry)

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee. I just want to play in that universe.

**~.oOo.~**

_Boy, go for a weekend sleepover and come back to find your Twitter feed, Facebook wall, and inbox overfloweth. _thought Kurt. There was an email from Mercedes he figured he'd better read since it was preceded by a number of texts and a voicemail. He'd been kinda ignoring her since he'd started hanging out with Jeff and she needed some serious shopping time. Maybe they could do something together next weekend.

As he read Mercedes' email, he could not stop laughing. _Celibacy charms used as clip-on nipple rings? How fashion forward is that?_ _I just __have__ to share this,_ thought Kurt as he forwarded an excerpt to Jeff with the subject line "Look what McKinley kids are up to now…"

His secret admirer sent him a link to a Fresh Air interview of a speech therapist who'd worked with a number of actors to change their dialect for a part. The email went on to say that building a knowledge of the your voice and how to use it would help in future. There was also a name and phone number for a voice coach in Columbus. "All the Warblers have gone to him at one point or another. Even if you don't feel you need any help, give him a call. You won't be sorry." This was decidedly less creepy than his earlier email. _Getting this guy to back off was worth it, even if it made me the Warbler's go-to guy for afternoon snacks_ thought Kurt.

When Kurt got down to the dinning hall, he snatched the last bagel and some cream cheese along with his customary fruit, yoghurt and juice. Jeff joined him 5 minutes later with a disappointed look on his face. Kurt pushed the bagel and cream cheese wrapped in plastic, to Jeff, who's face just lit up with a huge grin.

"For the president of the Kurt Hummel Appreciation Society." said Kurt with a smile. Jeff leaned forward for an extended kiss. There was a wolf whistle coming from somewhere behind them.

They broke apart with Jeff continuing to grin. "Ah. Membership doth have it's privileges. Thanks, babe. And what was this about nipple rings?"

Kurt blushed but chose to ignore the question. "I got another email from you-know-who. Is Saul Caswell related to Laura Caswell?" asked Kurt.

Jeff looked puzzled. "The 'do you have any brie' lady? Yeah, her husband. Why?"

"Apparently, he's a vocal coach." said Kurt.

A flash of recognition crossed Jeff's face. "Oh, that's right. I went to him for pointers for my first Warbler solo audition. He helped me work on the song, but I didn't get the solo. I still use the pointers we talked about when I sing, so it wasn't a total waste."

"Like what?" said Kurt, now curious.

"Oh, like breathe control, stance-he kept telling me to stop slouching-some other cues to keep my airway open. Mostly it was correcting some bad habits I had as a 'natural untrained singer'. But the biggest thing he helped me with was endurance."

"Huh?"

"I sang **We Will Rock You** in full-on Freddy mode. I couldn't have done that without his help. That's so not what the Warblers sing even though it would be easy to do a-capella." said Jeff.

"Interesting. I just might call him." Kurt felt he could use his help. He had gotten through that 18-minute segment of Celine Dion last year, but his voice was a wreck for a couple days afterwards.

They shared a quick kiss and went off to their morning classes.

**~.oOo.~**

"Hey. I hear you're now the hottest thing at Dalton since the home-made pop tart" said Blaine while standing in line for their Wednesday coffee date.

"Actually, Jeff made them this last weekend." said Kurt.

"Yeah. You and Jeff." Blaine said grinning. Kurt could almost hear the taunt "sitting in a tree…sitting in a tree… G" but they were interrupted.

"Well if it isn't Porcelain and a Warbler." said a familiar voice behind the boys. Kurt turned to find Coach Sylvester filling her coffee mug with every sweet thing in the prep area. He wanted to gag.

Sue went on to do what she usually does-evil gossip about rivals. Kurt whispered "She's always like this." into Blaine's ear but Blaine still looked confused. After she stalked off, Blaine said "Did you hear what she said? We've got to have an emergency meeting."

"Calm down Blaine. I agree, but not for what you're thinking. Let's get our coffee and go. I'll text Wes and David." Kurt seemed awfully cool about the whole thing. On their way back to Dalton, Kurt explained. Blaine's eyes went wide and he looked even more worried.

**~.oOo.~**

They found Wes and David in shirtsleeves spread out in the Senior Commons doing homework.

"Blaine. Kurt. Got your text. What's up?" asked Wes curiously.

"Kurt can explain this better." said Blaine.

"Uhm. This is going to sound paranoid, but can we go for a walk outside? It's not to cold." said Kurt tentatively.

Wes frowned but David just grinned. "Seems our terrible spy has learned some skills." Kurt smiled a little timidly. Wes and David put on their blazers and they all went outside to the weak sunlight of an early spring afternoon.

"I'll make this quick." said Kurt as he told them of Coach Sylvester's tricks last year with leaked set lists and the conversation he and Blaine had had with her this afternoon. Wes and David were not happy when he finished.

"I have an idea about what we can do." Kurt continued. "The problem is that we can't keep most anything secret with so many people involved. There will be a leak, eventually. We can control what leaks, however." David grinned and muttered "Spah!".

The boys went back inside and headed for the espresso machine in the snack area where Wes and David made themselves drinks.

"So, you think those Queen songs are a good choice?" David said to Blaine, seeming out of nowhere.

"Yeah. We can make them work. But you know…" Blaine said speculatively.

"What?" said Wes.

"Wasn't that one of the songs Jeff auditioned with? I was a sophomore, but I recall the Council didn't know what to do with him or his song. He did nail it." said Blaine. Kurt smiled. Maybe it was Jeff's turn to shine.

**~.oOo.~**

At the Warbler's practice the next day, Wes spoke to the group and explained their strategy-prepare a bunch of anthems along with the song Blaine had finished. They'd vote on what they'd perform before they went on at Regionals. It would mean a lot of extra work, so they should be prepared to help each other with school work.

They went through their usual warm ups and exercises for about 20 minutes. Then Wes handed some sheet music to Jeff, who's eyes went wide. "Do you want to try running through this? If I recall, you really nailed it last year." Wes said quietly.

"Uhm. Yeah. I'll give it a try." Jeff said turning red. Casually, he went over to the corner of the room, to Kurt's confusion. David was handing out music to the rest of the Warblers.

The Warblers stood in loose formation and started that iconic baseline as both beat boxes and clapping. Jeff just seemed to change and _strutted_ into the middle of the room. _Whoa. Is that Jeff making an entrance?_ thought Kurt.

_Buddy you're a boy make a big noise  
Playin' in the street gonna be a big man some day  
You got mud on yo' face  
You big disgrace  
Kickin' your can all over the place_

Kurt and rest of Warblers joined in

_We will we will rock you  
We will we will rock you_

Jeff continued to carry the song and Kurt was mesmerized by his performance. Kurt could _so_ see Jeff doing this in leather pants. _Sexy and HOT._ The Jeff that Kurt knew had vanished to be replaced by Freddie Mercury. Kurt could see why the Council didn't know what to do with Jeff. The phrases "trying to hard" spoken in Blaine's voice floated up from his memory. Kurt thought it was interesting that this seems to be the Council's operating strategy right now.

_You got mud on your face  
You big disgrace  
Somebody better put you back in your place  
We will we will rock you  
We will we will rock you_

As Jeff finished, he actually _pranced_ "offstage" to the corner of the room. There was a lot of applause.

Wes was pleased. "Jeff, see me after the meeting."

David passed out sheet music for three other songs, all Beatles tunes adapted for the Warbler's a capella style. They ran through them with varying degrees of success.

After Kurt finished a solo for **Across The Universe** using his Judy Garland carmel-toned mid-range, Wes dismissed the group. Someone muttered "So we're a Beatle's tribute group now?" as they were leaving. Kurt was moving to go and Wes stopped him, asking him to join Jeff, David, and Blaine.

Jeff's eyes were wide. "You want me to take over Blaine's solo in **Rock and Roll Music**? Not to look a gift horse and everything, but why? He totally rocked it." said Jeff doubtfully.

"Well, I rocked half of it. It took a lot out of me. If we do it, it will have to be last or someone else will have to perform after me. Why don't you give it a try? We'll back you up." said Blaine.

Jeff did not disappoint them.

**~.oOo.~**

Kurt and Jeff had dinner together before heading off to their rooms for a long night of studying and homework. During dinner, Jeff was talking ecstatically about the prospect of his solos.

Kurt put his hand over Jeff's and said gently "You do know that you may not actually get to perform them at Regionals, right?"

"Well I'd be lying if I said I didn't care about a solo, but I still get to sing Freddie's songs in front of the guys and have them not look at me like I'm a freak." Jeff said with a sparkle in his eye.

"Look at us. We're getting our inner diva on. You know, when you were singing, I imagined you wearing leather pants. You'd so rock that look." said Kurt excitedly.

"I do own a pair." Kurt drew in a sharp breath. "I could give you…a very private showing…sometime." Jeff said with a wicked grin. "Membership doth have its privileges."

Kurt just grinned and blushed beet red.

**~.oOo.~**

A/N: I was slowly going through SEXY, having to stop at key points to contain myself and calm down. Finally at the end, I was dumbfounded at why some people only rated the episode a 'Meh'. Seriously, Burt's sex talk with Kurt was historic. I'm mean, guys talking about feelings? Friggen historic. Leave it to Ryan Murphy et al. to do that right. My only nit is that I didn't think Kurt was such an ostrich about sex.

Most of this was written at the same time as the last chapter. I seriously am having trouble keeping Kurt and Jeff on the slow track. They just seem to always be getting ready to jump each other's bones and I keep bringing them back down to earth. I promise I'll put a warning if that happens and I stray into M territory although I'll never do anything explicit.


	7. Regionals

**A/N: I've got some ideas from other authors. If you see something that was in your story, it may very well be. Thanks in advance.**

**The Matt Smith Christopher and His Kind is discussed here**

**www d0t radiotimes d0t com/ content/features/galleries/matt-smith-christopher-and-his-kind/01/**

** (add protocol, slashes, and remove spaces)**

**Secret Admirer / Ch. 7 - Regionals**

Author: TerribleSpy

Rating: T+

Characters: Kurt, Jeff, Blaine (no KLAINE, sorry)

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee. I just want to play in that universe.

**~.oOo.~**

"Jeff! Dr. Bonner's Peppermint Soap? Really?" said Kurt indignantly through Jeff's bathroom door.

"What? It washes out without leaving any sort of residue. And it makes my naughty bits all tinglely." said Jeff.

"But it dries out my skin and hair." replied Kurt.

"Relax, I bought some of your products on-line after I had a major spa experience in your shower."

"Well, where are they? They're not under the sink." said Kurt amid sounds of cupboard doors banging.

"May I come in?" said Jeff.

"Just a minute…OK." came the reply.

Jeff knocked, then brought in a shower caddy filled with bodywash, shampoo, conditioner, and a skin moisturizer. "They were so much cheaper on Amazon than in the store…" Jeff took a deep breath and swallowed at seeing Kurt Hummel standing there with his arms folded. Just wearing a towel. His towel.

Jeff grinned and handed the caddy to Kurt, who said "What?"

"Have I mentioned that this is how one of my favorite fantasies about you starts off? Only I'm wearing about the same thing." said Jeff with grin. "The towels end up on the floor and there's a lot of complaints from Nick next door. It seems our bathrooms share a common wall and he can hear whenever I sing in the shower…and other things."

"Just give me that." said Kurt blushing and not just on his face.

"Don't you want to hear the rest of it?" said Jeff also blushing, trailing a finger lightly down Kurt's chest to just before his belly button. Kurt's towel twitches in a certain place.

"After Regionals, when we won't be so…rushed. And I get to see you in those black leather pants." said Kurt with a smirk. _Two can play this game,_ he thought.

"Don't you want me to scrub your back?" said Jeff with a grin.

"Out!"

Kurt discovered that Jeff was right about the Dr. Bonner's.

**~.oOo.~**

Kurt was pissed. Really pissed. _We should have won, damnit._ he thought. After all that hard work and preparation, Coach Sylvester hadn't done anything to subvert their performance. The best that Aural Intensity could come up with were songs about sunshine and Jesus. Thinking back on it, it made sense to Kurt. Coach Sylvester wanted to destroy Will Shuester and New Directions. Having her group win would have been her best outcome but the Warblers winning would also have accomplished the same goal. _I guess she was just messing with me that morning in the Lima Bean_. thought Kurt.

Kurt, Jeff and Blaine were sitting together on the bus heading back to Dalton. One good thing to come out of this was that Jeff and Blaine were talking again. In fact, they teased each other just like Blaine and Kurt used to do.

Backstage getting ready to go on, both Jeff and Kurt were having last minute hysterics. Blaine had just chuckled. "Are you guys nervous?"

"Please don't judge us." Kurt had said. Jeff was trying to do yoga stretches and taking calming breaths, but failing miserably.

Blaine just smiled. "OK, you can judge me." said Kurt.

"I think it's adorable." said Blaine with a glint in his eye. "I think you're both adorable." He put an arm around each of their shoulders and dragged them into view of the stage. "We're all going out there and kill this thing." Kurt and Jeff shared a quick kiss before stepping onto the risers.

Their performances were flawless and brought the house down, but New Directions had won. Now they were on the bus going home. Blaine was convinced that if he hadn't gotten stuck attempting to write an original song, they would have won. Even his amazing version of **Raise Your Glass** didn't seem to impress the judges. Jeff was just glad he got to 'get his Freddy on'.

Talk eventually drifted towards what they were doing for spring break. Blaine was going skiing up in Canada with his family. Jeff and Kurt were spending it close to home with each other. Soon the boys retreated to their iPods, listening to music for the rest of the trip. Kurt was already planning his shopping trip with Mercedes that weekend. Jeff had asked to join them. _That should be fun,_ thought Kurt.

"Movie tonight?" asked Kurt, giving Jeff a kiss before he went up to his room.

"Sure, bring something or we can pick from my collection." said Jeff. "See you about 7? Join us, Blaine?"

Blaine grinned and winked "I'll see you guys after the break." and headed off to his room to pack.

**~.oOo.~**

Kurt got back to his room and found an unmarked envelop with a blank DVD taped to his door. There was a Post It with ENJOY printed in an unfamiliar hand on the disk. He knew this was from his secret admirer and went to check his email. He hadn't seen anything when he had checked from his phone on the bus.

On his laptop, he went through his Inbox, replying to his friends in New Directions about plans for the week and congratulating them on their win.

The secret admirer email sent congratulations on his solo at Regionals. It told him to enjoy the DVD of Matt Smith's BBC2 film of **Christopher And His Kind**, which just aired in the UK on the 19th. Kurt was a huge fan of **Cabaret** and **A Single Man**, so this movie interested him. He'd bring it to Jeff's tonight, who would certainly enjoy seeing Matt Smith without a shirt on if the included JPEGs were any indiction.

**~.oOo.~**

It turned out the video was directly from the UK where they allowed a lot more on TV, stuff like brief glimpses of full frontal male nudity, cruising scenes in gay bars, and tastefully draped sex scenes. _How can they ever show this over here?_ thought Jeff.

Jeff noticed Kurt blush during a sex scene and whispered "Wanky wanky" only to have Kurt poke him lightly in the ribs while they were cuddling. At the next questionable bit, Jeff kept silent but still noticed Kurt's rising blush. He stopped the movie.

"Are you OK with this? I don't want you to be uncomfortable watching something to graphic." said Jeff.

"I don't know why, but graphic stuff bothers me. I can't watch porn because I think about the performers rather than what they're doing and don't find it hot at all. That's why I like Broadway musicals were the touch of a fingertip is about as graphic as it gets." said Kurt. "My dad sat me down to have 'the Talk' recently and made me read some pamphlets on gay teen sex. It's one thing to read about what goes where. It's altogether different to see two guys going at it so hard they're knocking over vases."

"I don't think that was intended to titillate, pardon my pun, just establish Isherwood as a top. It doesn't bother me as much as it seems to be bothering you. We can watch something else. I think I have **Cabaret**." said Jeff soberly.

"It's fine. Let's watch this. I'll tell you if I want to stop." said Kurt. _How did I get to be so lucky to have this guy in my life?_ thought Kurt. "Thanks for asking." said Kurt and took the opportunity to steal a kiss before starting the movie up again.

The story finally got going and Jeff was enthralled. He could see the prototype for Fraulein Sally Bowles and saw Christopher fall in love with a young street sweeper only to have the boy ultimately arrested by the Gestapo. He shivered as Nazi brownshirts stormed through the Berlin streets, beat up people, and destroyed Jewish homes and businesses.

But for some reason, Jeff started to weep silently as he watched the Nazis burning books, the ashes of the fires lazily drifting upward on the night air currents. Kurt paused the DVD to get Jeff a Kleenex, and just rocked him gently, running his fingers through Jeff's hair.

"I don't know why I'm crying. I guess I see book burning as the start of the Holocaust. Hitler was silencing the Jews long dead by burning their _words_. Since we don't have a heaven or hell, we live on through our children and what we leave behind-stories, ideas, _and words_." Jeff said quietly. As Kurt comforted him, Jeff thought _What does this guy see in me? How can I be so lucky? _

The images later were somehow less disturbing. This was not a feel-good movie. But then, neither was **Cabaret** or **A Single Man**.

They decided to turn in early before heading out to Kurt's to spend the first half the week at his house. They were cuddling and idly talking about their plans before turning out the light when Kurt asked "Did you either of your parents ever give you 'the Talk'?"

"Not the 'Bees and the Bees' talk, no." said Jeff. "Dad talked about the 'Birds and the Bees' before I came out. My mom's brother is gay and I don't know why they asked him to talk to me. It was kind of awkward at first until we agreed that the mechanics were best left for later. He pointed me to **Savage Love**, a sex advice column for specifics if I wanted them. He also had pamphlets, probably the same ones you have and we practiced putting a condom on a cucumber. For reference, a banana doesn't work. Especially if you take off the peel."

Jeff continued. "We talked mostly about feelings. And that sex and love were totally separate and distinct things. He said he's probably alive today because he wasn't built to be a slut. He wanted love rather than sex. In the 80's it was kinda of expected to put out on the first date. Since he didn't, he did not get many second dates. One-night stands made him feel bad, so he didn't do them more than once or twice."

Kurt nodded his head. "That's weird that you could talk about it with him but not your dad." he said.

"I've known Uncle Ted my whole life. In some ways, I feel my coming out was easier because I knew there was someone I could always talk to about it." Jeff replied.

"Remember I said when we first started making out that I wanted to wait until my first time was special?" Kurt nodded. "That's because I think it means something and I want it to mean something to the guy I'm with." Again Kurt nodded. _Dad would really like him,_ thought Kurt.

"You keep mentioning all these fantasies you have about me. How would you make our first time special?" asked Kurt.

"Well, I don't have it all mapped out. But it wouldn't just happen spontaneously. And it would be something we'd both remember like forever. Flowers, soft lights, and lots of Chapstick," Kurt snorted. "A lazy brunch maybe after a long hot bath together."

Jeff noticed that Kurt had almost stopped breathing. So he just had to add "I do think a commemorative plaque afterward as take home gift is a little much, don't you?"

That got Jeff a poke in the ribs and another snort.

Kurt twisted to face Jeff and gave him a long, lingering kiss. Jeff put his hands around Kurt's waist to draw him closer as their tongues got down to some serious exploration. Kurt went for the area under Jeff's ear that drove him nuts only to have Jeff grab and squeeze his ass with a moan.

"Kurt. Kurt. We need to stop or I'm not going to be able to fall asleep without a cold shower first." pleaded Jeff somewhat breathlessly.

Kurt stopped attempting to make a snack out of Jeff's neck. "_Life is about choices."_ Kurt recalled Burt saying at one time. _I guess this is one of them. Sleeping alone after a cold shower or being wrapped in Jeff's arms for the night._

"Fine. But you owe me." Kurt said in a mock petulant tone as he twisted to turn his back to Jeff. Kurt felt an all-to-familiar thing that was not a finger pressing against him. His own started to awaken slightly.

"Just put it on my account." said Jeff and Kurt could hear the smirk in his voice.

"Are you going to be OK or do you need that shower?" asked Kurt. "Not that I'm complaining. I'm just thinking of a mailman."

"What?" said Jeff.

"I'll explain it to you on the way to Lima."

"M'kay. G'Night." and Kurt felt a light kiss on his neck. It sent shivers down his spine. The arms around him gave a gentle squeeze and then relaxed. Kurt kissed the palm of Jeff left hand. Within minutes, they were asleep.

**~.oOo.~**

A/N: I don't listen to the music that the Warblers sing. So my supposition that Top 40s music and artists can't do an anthem is totally unfounded. **Raise Your Glass** complete qualifies and I stand corrected. And amazed at the people who screen the music for the show. How they find stuff that is accessible to kids and the older crowd is amazing. It and "the kiss" made this chapter harder to write as it strays farther and farther from canon.


	8. Break, part 1

**A/N: I've got some ideas from other authors. If you see something that was in your story, it may very well be. Thanks in advance.**

**Easter and Passover are late this year so the local schools and various universities near me apparently are having their Spring break now. I guess those that need the religious holiday the week of Passover and Easter will be on their own. In any case, it means that Kurt and Jeff's together time is now instead of late April. I'll probably do a chapter on Passover/Easter with family later.**

**Secret Admirer / Ch. 8 - Break, part 1**

Author: TerribleSpy

Rating: T+

Characters: Kurt, Jeff, Blaine (no KLAINE, sorry)

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee. I just want to play in that universe.

**~.oOo.~**

Kurt and Jeff spent the drive to Kurt's house talking about their plans for the week. They'd spend the first half at Kurt's then the rest at Jeff's. There would be partying with friends, shopping with Mercedes, and lots of goofing off in general. And, _maybe_, some homework.

Kurt's secret admirer had sent another email with a link to a Fresh Air podcast with Dan Savage and his husband Terry. Kurt had heard of the **It Gets Better Project** and watched some of the Youtube videos. It came out right around the time of Karovsky, Dalton, and Blaine, so he didn't pay much attention to it until later. Jeff seemed very quiet for much of the podcast.

Carol called when they were almost home to ask Kurt to pick up supplies for an impromptu New Directions party at the new house. Carol was still at work and Finn was 'busy'. _He's probably playing video games with Puck,_ thought Kurt.

"You're not going to feed everyone, are you?" Kurt asked from his iPhone on speaker. The iPhone mount and charger was a Good Thing™.

"No sweetie, I remember last time. They'll order pizza for themselves if they want." she said. "Just get sodas, pretzels, and chips. No dips or salsa. I want to save the new flooring. We're now a 'no shoes' household. I haven't decided on dinner yet. It will be earlier."

Kurt turned and asked Jeff if he had ideas for healthy low-fat meals. Jeff had this odd glint in his eye as he nodded his head.

"Jeff has some ideas. Can we cook dinner for you guys?" Kurt asked back into the phone.

"Honey, it's your vacation. Are you sure you want to spend it cooking?" she replied. She didn't quite get Jeff's comment in the background about a kitchen slave but Kurt said he didn't mind and hung up.

They dropped by the Lima CostCo and a local grocery store. Kurt was still shocked at how much Finn ate and hoped he bought enough. Thank goodness they'd given Kurt a family CostCo card.

They walked into the new Hudson-Hummel kitchen carrying boxes filled with food, snacks, drinks, and some party supplies. As Jeff and Kurt came into the kitchen, Kurt was mentioning something about a mailman and his brother's first driving lesson. Jeff laughed.

"Finn? Where does stuff go? I don't know how Carol has this place organized." called Kurt as they set the boxes on the breakfast bar/island. This separating the kitchen from a larger 'great room' where there were different seating areas with two couches, a big flat-screen TV and a fire place.

Kurt started opening cupboards to put stuff away. The chicken and produce he put in the new larger fridge. He found the kettle, filled it, and set it on the stove to boil for afternoon tea.

There were more boxes in the car. A very tall boy paused a video game he was playing with a blonde boy and dragging him outside to help unload. They returned with the rest of boxes and several bags of ice.

"I'll put the rest away. Hey. I'm Finn, Kurt's brother."

Jeff smiled and said "Kurt's very tall brother. I'm Jeff. I'll be your chef tonight. And this is my sous-chef, Kurt." and extended a hand. Finn shook it dubiously, mostly because he wondered what a sous-chef was.

"Is this the Jeff you're dating?" asked Finn with no preamble.

"Boyfriend." said Kurt nodding. Finn put his arm around Jeff's shoulder and led him into the great room away from the kitchen area. "Can I talk to you for a second?" he asked ignoring Kurt's protests.

Jeff could see this coming, considering Finn's reaction to hearing them discuss the mailman story. But he just had to poke fun at Finn's seriousness.

"Uhm. Gort, klattu barada nicto?" he said looking up into Finn's very confused face.

The blonde boy had returned to the game console and burst out laughing. He said something that Jeff recognized from **Avatar**. So he turned to the boy and said "Sorry, I only speak the words from the Klingon tribe." in N'avi. This got more laughter. Kurt had joined the three boys by the couch. Both he and Finn looked puzzled but let it go.

"Finn, relax. I'm a big brother too. I really, really care about Kurt and I would never dream of hurting him." said Jeff. Finn's mouth sort of opened, then closed.

"And I can assure you, he's been nothing but a perfect gentleman. You raised him right. That discussion of a mailman was so I could mail a letter to my lesbian aunt in Winnepeg. That's in Canada." Kurt and the blonde were really laughing now.

Finn continued trying to figure out what to say next, so Jeff just gave him a quick man-hug to put him out of his misery. "It's really good to meet you, finally."

Finn didn't know how to take getting hugged by Kurt's boyfriend, so he just smiled weakly and patted Jeff's back.

Jeff turned to the blonde boy and extended his hand "I'm Jeff."

"Sam Evans."

"Still having the time of your life?" Jeff said playfully with a grin.

"Dude, you so needed to do **Rock You** in leather pants." said Sam, which made both Jeff and Kurt blush. "But I guess that wouldn't go with Dalton's dress code."

Jeff's eyes flickered over the game paused on the console and recognized it. "I see you're playing World of Warcraft. I'd join you, but we have dinner and a party to prep for."

Sam smiled. "That's cool. We'll be playing all night."

"LANparty?"

"Nope. The girls don't like being left out." said Sam.

"Kurt played in some of the Warbler LANparties. He is pretty good if he likes the game. Da boys gots skillz." said Jeff with pride. This caused both Finn and Sam to turn to Kurt and stare.

"What? Some games have great costume selections. One even had great hats." said Kurt. This only made Finn and Sam laugh.

"Come on, Emeril. We've got work to do." said Jeff as he dragged Kurt by the hand into the kitchen area. The kettle was boiling.

"Emeril?" asked Kurt.

"I didn't think you'd appreciate me calling you Rachel Ray in front of your brother." said Jeff said with a smirk. "I also don't think he knows who any of these people are anyway."

"Bam!" came Finn's voice from the living room as both Finn and Sam resumed their game. Jeff and Kurt just laughed and got to work.

**~.oOo.~**

Jeff and Kurt's dinner was a success. Burt loved the broiled barbecued chicken and wanted the recipe so Carol could make it. A low-fat potato salad and French green beans kept it heart healthy. And there was chocolate and raspberry sorbets for dessert. Finn must have eaten the equivalent of a whole chicken all by himself.

For the party, they made lots of extra chicken and cut it up into finger food. Jeff made a Buffalo-wing coating, a herb and parmesan cheese coating, and a pomegranate molasses and sesame coating. Kurt convinced Jeff to only make a small crudités platter just in case Rachel showed up. Kurt didn't know if Finn was on or off with her right now. Carol could use the veggies later in a salad. The 'nosherei'-chips, firehouse popcorn, and pretzels-were along the side.

"You really like to cook. Are you going to be a chef?" asked Finn.

"No. I'd rather just cook and entertain for friends and family." said Jeff.

"Well the two of you in a kitchen would be a force to be reckoned with." said Carol.

Finn cleaned up the dishes so the boys could shower and change for the party.

**~.oOo.~**

Kurt came out of his bathroom wearing only a towel. "Oh so tempting." Jeff said with a grin. He stripped off his shirt, pants, and socks, and walked into the bathroom shutting the door. It was the first time Kurt had seen Jeff shirtless. And pantless.

"I didn't ever want to know that Fruit of the Loom made red jockey shorts." said Kurt through the door. _He does look really hot in them. And out of them, from what I can tell, _thought Kurt. _Dancers have such nice butts._

"Yeah, but I like the irony, don't you?" called Jeff through the door before Kurt heard the sounds of the shower. Kurt took a deep breath as he imagined Jeff slowly soaping himself up and gently massaging shampoo into his scalp and other areas. A certain area of Kurt's anatomy twitched in reaction.

_Later_, he thought, as he pulled on black boxer briefs, a pair of dark skinny jeans, and a gray button down.

Jeff came out of the bathroom wearing the red briefs and rummaged through his overnight duffle. He found a teal and white striped v-neck and light colored jeans. _Still hot, even with clothes on_ thought Kurt.

Kurt came over and put his arms around Jeff's waist. "Have I told you how yummy dinner was?" Jeff shook his head. Kurt pulled him close and kissed him, reaching up to put his arms around Jeff's neck.

"You're yummy too." Kurt said. He was very aware they were in his bedroom with the door open so that Burt ensured things stay "appropriate", as one of the conditions of Jeff's sleepover. The other was the Jeff would be sleeping on the couch in Kurt's room.

**~.oOo.~**

The members of New Directions, sans Rachel Berry, arrived in bunches. Apparently, Rachel had a 'theater thing' with her dads and couldn't make it. Eventually, everyone else was there. Jeff watched Kurt, immersed in his element surrounded by all his girls. It was clear they all missed him.

Jeff had spent some time in public schools around girls, but didn't make friends with them. He was just another dweeby, übergeek loner back then. Then he came out to his parents and they got him into Dalton just at the start of his freshman year of high school. He had a few friends who gamed with him back in middle school but he didn't advertise the fact that he spent his time after school in the dance studio rather than at football practice.

At Dalton, he just blossomed. He swam for the swim team, did yoga and pilates with Kurt, and still managed to take dance classes, even though he'd been at it longer than most of the other boys. The instructor even had him leading the warm ups with the boys before class.

He also ran most of the Warbler's LANparties. He wasn't all that out of place in the geek fanboi hierarchy even at Dalton. Except he had a poster of Zac Effron on his dorm room wall rather than Megan Fox. His uncle had told him that gay geeks do exist. _They just don't exist much in Ohio,_ thought Jeff. _What's here for a techy-type? Not much._

"Here's your diet Coke, babe." said Jeff as he handed Kurt the requisite red plastic drink cup. Kurt hadn't even asked for anything, so he just smiled and give Jeff a peck on the cheek. The girls gave a collective "Awww. How sweet."

"Everyone, this is Jeff." and Kurt made the introductions all 'round.

"Hey, ladies. I saw a video of the McKinley championship game. Was that all you guys out there playing? It was scarily amazing."

Tina and Lauren raised their hands. "The hobbit isn't here." said Lauren.

"Oh, you have one too. Come to think of it, I heard they met and almost eloped." grinned Jeff. Kurt made a gagging sound and the other girls laughed.

"Brittany, were you really going to be shot out of a cannon?" asked Jeff.

"Yes, but I decided I'd rather be a zombie and dance instead." she said.

"Oh, I didn't know zombies could dance. I thought they just sort of shuffled around and ate brains." Jeff said not at all phased by her apparent non sequitur.

Kurt turned to talk to Mercedes and continue catching up on all the New Directions 'happenings'. They'd have to postpone their shopping day until Monday, as Burt wanted some alone time in the garage. Kurt was looking forward to working on his car with his dad. Jeff wanted to come and 'watch'. Kurt hoped he didn't get in the way.

Jeff excused himself and went to talk with Sam and an Asian boy. "Hey, that was some pretty serious dancing you did with Brittany at Sectionals. I'm Jeff."

"Mike Chang. And thanks. Great solo, by the way." said Mike smiling. "Thanks." said Jeff.

"How did you ever get Kurt to play video games?" asked Sam.

Jeff smirked. "That wasn't me. It was when Kurt was in his 'Blaine is the love of my life' phase. He didn't even know I existed."

"Then how did you guys end up together?" asked Sam. Jeff told them the short version noticing they weren't at all uncomfortable with the idea of two guys having romantic feelings for each other. _Kurt has good friends._ thought Jeff. _And teenage boys like gossip just as much as girls._

Finn and Puck, the bad-boy with the low-maintenance Mohawk, joined the group. _Oh come __on__. There's no product in your hair and its not even dyed. Poser._ thought Jeff. Finn had a plate filled with chicken and munchies.

"Dude, these chicken McNugget thingies are awesome. You gotta teach mom how to make them." Finn said stuffing his face.

"Didn't you already stuff yourself at dinner?" asked Jeff.

"Yeah, but that was like two hours ago. We're ordering pizza later." said Finn.

"You'd make a Jewish mother very proud. And keep her very busy." said Jeff._ Kurt was not exaggerating about how much he ate._

"Dude. Did you, like, cook the food? Is it kosher and all that shit?" asked Puck.

"No. It's traif. Costco. You've obviously never had to buy food or cook for Finn. Everyday seems to be the consumption of mass quantities." said Jeff. Sam chuckled and mumbled something about France but only Jeff caught it.

"So. You and Kurt…" said Puck.

"…cooked the food together. He's my sous-chef." said Jeff.

Puck's eyebrows went up. "TMI, dude. Especially if that's some sort of gay code."

Jeff just smiled. "Are you sure you guys don't want to setup a LANparty?"

Sam said "The girls…"

"Are having a grand time gossiping with Kurt. Lauren and Santana said they play with their brothers all the time. They also said they'd clean your collective clocks." said Jeff.

"I've got an 8-port hub and cabling if you don't want any net lag. With my laptop, Kurt's and Finn's, plus the console, we could have four players in game."

Sam grinned. "I came from school. My laptop is in my car. That's five."

Artie had joined them. "So's mine. That's six."

"Thunderbirds are GO." said Jeff.

"Dude! Where have you been all my life?" said Sam.

Jeff winked at Sam. "Ahem. Kurt comes first. But you can be next. Or in the middle."

At first, Finn was confused then he realized what they were talking about. He turned bright red. "Hey! That's my little brother you're talking about."

"Geeze, Finn. You're _so_ easy. It's almost no fun." said Jeff with a grin.

"Kuurrttt." whined Finn. "Your boyfriend is teasing me and planning on doing depraved things with you and Sam." Kurt caught Jeff's wink. The girls were all laughing.

"Oh really?" said Kurt. "Jeff, please be nice to my brother. Should I bring the chocolate syrup?"

Santana said "I want video."

Jeff and Sam could not contain themselves. Finn just got redder.

"Fine." and he stomped up the stairs to get his laptop.

Puck looked at Artie and just shrugged. "Must be more of that gay code. Where's your laptop?"

"My pack in the van." said Artie as he passed Puck his car keys. Puck and Sam left to get their gear, leaving Jeff and Artie.

"How long have you guys been together. I thought he was dating that Blaine guy." asked Artie.

"Since about February, after Rachel's party. Kurt and Blaine are just friends. Listen, Artie. Can I ask you something?" said Jeff suddenly serious.

"Uhm. Sure." replied Artie, thinking he knew where this was going.

"Kurt told me about the bullying. The dumpster tossing, slushie facials, and being slammed into lockers. He also said it wasn't just him or the Glee club. How about you? I can't imagine that chair giving you any sort of pass from the Neanderthals."

Artie was surprised. This wasn't the conversation he was expecting. "Uhm. No. I was tossed my freshman year. Kurt was tossed an hour later and got me out. My chair was trashed and the jocks who did it were expelled. They ended up doing about a bajillion hours of community service and had to replace my chair. In sophomore year, they changed tactics. Just ignoring me and not opening or even holding doors was enough. This year, the whole hockey team slushied me. I cleaned up as best I could but my chair needed a complete teardown and rebuild. Dad had to pay for that."

"You realize you're considered a protected class?" said Jeff. Arty looked puzzled.

Jeff continued "My dad was a civil rights attorney. My parents transferred me to Dalton because he knew about the local school district's record on bullying. Lima's isn't so hot either. They're a lawsuit waiting to happen. At the very least, a good lawyer could scare the crap out of the school district and get the slushie machines pulled from the schools. And if this sort of thing happens a lot, it's probably a janitor's nightmare. High fructose corn syrup and red dye #40 aren't so easy to clean up once they dry. It's an easy decision for a principle."

Artie didn't know what to say. This had never occurred to him. And here's this guy who's probably never been slushied in his life getting all upset about it.

"Hey. I'm just say'n. My mom's a therapist. She told me once when I asked about the child abuse I saw in a movie, **Myserious Skin**, disturbingly twisted and good. She said kids who are abused take that sort of behavior as the norm. Do you think that being tossed in a dumpster, having frozen fountain drinks thrown in your face, and being pushed around is normal?"

Jeff's tone was light and casual, but Artie could tell this bothered him. "You have someone my dad could call?"

"Yeah. It's on my computer. Are you on Facebook?" asked Jeff. He had pulled out his phone and his fingers where dancing over the App icons and keyboard. "Oh, there you are. I just friended you. I'll send you the info when we're set up here."

"Thanks" was all Artie could say. Puck, Finn, and Sam appeared with their laptops and Puck passed Artie his keys.

"I'll go get my stuff. Be right back." and Jeff went upstairs.

**~.oOo.~**

It didn't take long to setup the router and laptops. That side of the great room was filled with explosions, gunfire, and teenagers yelling. Burt came out of his room to check out the noise, saw that it was harmless (_Computer games? Is that what kids call a party these days?_) and went back to his room to watch a movie with Carol, shaking his head.

Puck had also brought his guitar and Jeff was picking out songs with Kurt and the girls who didn't want to game. Jeff had been thinking about his growing feelings. _Hell, I'm falling in love with Kurt._ But the whole courage thing that worked for Kurt seemed to having the opposite effect on Jeff.

The guitar gave him courage. He supposed he was like Blaine in that way-singing his heart and feelings in song when he was to scared to just say it. "Ladies, this song is for Kurt." Kurt's left eyebrow went up as Jeff started to play.

_I've got you under my skin  
I've got you deep in the heart of me  
So deep in my heart that you're really a part of me  
I've got you under my skin_

Kurt was blushing and noticed that the sounds of the game on the other side of the room had stopped. Everyone was listening, just like they'd do in the usual New Directions sing-it-out songfest.

Kurt knew that once he had let go of his crush on Blaine, he'd started having feelings for Jeff. He just didn't know how Jeff felt about him or how far it went. _Well, __now__ I do._

_But each time I do just the thought of you makes me stop  
Just before I begin 'cause I've got you under my skin  
Yes, I've got you under my skin  
And I love you under my skin_

There was quiet for a moment. "Damn. Very white boy has it bad!" said Mercedes. The rest of Kurt's old Glee-mates applauded. The girls were making "Aww" noises.

But Kurt didn't hear because he was busy with his arms wrapped around Jeff's neck, who was still holding the guitar. Once Jeff put it down, their mouths seem to become glued together.

After a few minutes of watching the couple make little sounds as they kissed, Finn became uncomfortable. It was one thing if it was two hot chicks going at it, moaning and all, but two dudes. And one was his brother. _Eww_.

Finally, Puck said something. "Dudes! Get a room. I'm not watching no gay porno."

"Well, that answers one question." said Jeff with a twinkle in his eye.

Kurt knew Jeff's sense of humor by now but he said it anyway. "What?"

"You can still play tonsil hockey without tonsils." said Jeff.

Brittany looked confused. "I still have my tonsils, so I just assumed the other boys did too."

"I keep saying this. You're ridiculous. Go play with the boys." said Kurt.

"I'd rather play with my boy." grinned Jeff.

"Dudes. Again. Get a room." said Puck.

Kurt gave Jeff a peck on the cheek and whispered "Later." in his ear.

**~.oOo.~**

The party wound down around midnight after Burt came out of his bedroom and told everyone to go home. Jeff smirked as he, Kurt, and Finn worked picking up the major bits of trash. They'd finish with the rest of it tomorrow.

"What?" asked Kurt, again sensing another Jeff moment.

"Your dad just reminds me of the ending of **The Muppet Movie** where Animal stops playing the closing number over the credits and yells 'GO HOME'". They all laughed.

Jeff packed up the router and cables. But, before closing his laptop, he opened his browser to Facebook, logged in, and sent Artie a private message with the info on the ACLU attorney.

"What are you doing on Facebook at this hour? I hope you're not posting pictures we'll have to explain to anyone later." asked Kurt. Jeff described his conversation with Artie earlier.

"This isn't even your battle. Why do you care?" asked Kurt.

"Because it's not right. For the same reason Finn wore that shower curtain for you and it's also probably why my dad became an attorney." said Jeff. "At the very least, I'd like that slushy machine to go away."

Both Kurt and Finn looked shocked. But Kurt walked over to the stairs, stood on the first step, and crooked his index finger at Jeff to "come here". He wrapped his arms around Jeff, this time, taller than him, bent his head down and proceeded to assault Jeff's lips. Jeff's arms reached up to hold Kurt. _H'mmm. I sorta like this._ thought Jeff.

Again, little moans started coming from the couple until Finn cleared his throat. "I'm still here guys."

"Good night, Finn." said Kurt as he pulled Jeff upstairs.

**~.oOo.~**

Once they were in Kurt's bedroom, they stood between the bed and the couch, embracing, holding each other as close as possible. Only their clothes separated them from more complete contact.

"I want to kiss every inch of your body right now. But I promised your Dad to respect his house and his rules. PG-13 is as far as it goes. He's my mailman right now." Jeff said. Kurt noticed his bedroom door was open slightly.

"How long have you felt this way about me?" asked Kurt.

"My initial reaction of _WOW_ was when you sang your solo audition for the Warblers. You turned from that window, the light struck your amazing blue green eyes, and you sang of freedom. But you didn't know I existed. It wasn't until after Rachel's party and we started going out that I realized it was more. That I wanted more. But I didn't know until tonight that you might feel the same way." said Jeff.

"And that podcast on the way over here. I realized that I want to get married and somehow have children. And grandchildren. I want to be able to tell my granddaughter about my first kiss with my husband. My uncle and his partner never had that option. I do."

Kurt's eyes were misting over. _How can he get even more romantic the more he speaks?_

"I don't even know if that's what you want. And it would be crazy to ask you because we're both 17. Who plans a family at 17 except Mormons? For now, I just want you." said Jeff. Kurt tugged Jeff over to the couch, pulled him down on top of him and proceeded to attempt to kiss him within an inch of his life.

Eventually, friction got the better part of them. And lack of air. And the implied PG-13 rating.

In Kurt's mind, he was following his dad's rules when he slept on the couch with Jeff. This time, Kurt was big spoon. He really liked holding Jeff. It almost felt as comforting as Jeff holding him.

That was how Burt found them when he peeked into Kurt's room that morning. The two boys were spooned together covered by a light blanket. He didn't feel to upset about it. He'd heard Jeff sing that song and he was kind of an old softie when it came to that kind of music. And the idea that Kurt might someday find love made him sort of misty eyed. His mom would have been happy, too.

**~.oOo.~**

A/N: CostCo is a big-box store in the US. I hate Walmart so Kurt won't shop there.

The chicken prep method is really easy (attributed to Craig Claiborne of NY Times). Season chicken with poultry seasoning, garlic powder, and a little freshly ground pepper. Broil close to element or flame for 10 minutes in a dish lined with foil sprayed with PAM for easy cleanup. Turn after 10 minutes and season other side. Broil for 10 more minutes. Turn oven to 400degrees F. Add bottled BBQ sauce (I like KC Masterpiece or use your own. YMMV) over chicken and a little to the liquid in the pan. Bake 10 minutes or longer until juices run clear. This will scale for a 13x11 pan but I've only ever done a 6 pieces at once. Don't mix white and dark meat. They cook at different rates. The white meat will be dry unless it's been injected with brine, which CostCo sells in the freezer case. Dark meat works best with this recipe.

I was thinking of the Michael Buble version of **Under My Skin**. Yes, I know I recycled some scenes from a previous one-shot.


	9. Break, part 2

**A/N: Another fic author put a disclaimer in their fic that they don't see Klaine happening in high school. I'm of the same mind. I do see it happening later, just not now. So if Klaine is what you're looking for, it will be a while.**

**I've got some ideas from other authors. If you see something that was in your story, it may very well be. Thanks in advance.**

**Secret Admirer / Ch. 9 - Break, part 2**

Author: TerribleSpy

Rating: T+

Characters: Kurt, Jeff, Blaine (no KLAINE, sorry)

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee. I just want to play in that universe.

**~.oOo.~**

_A warm presence behind him. Holding him. Snuggling him._ _A hand was under his t-shirt on his bare chest. Something definitely non-finger like was pressing against the small of his back._

It took Jeff a minute to figure out where he was.

There were sounds of activity in the house. A door closing. An automatic garage door. A car starting. The garage door again. Carol had said they were going to church and brunch afterwards.

Jeff snuggled back into Kurt's body and felt the boy's arm tighten against his chest. There was a slight twitch in the hardness against small of his back. Kurt stirred and yawned. Jeff felt a kiss on his bare shoulder and pulled Kurt's free arm closer making Kurt and the hardness press even deeper into his back.

"Mmm. Good morning, babe." said a groggy Kurt.

Jeff kissed the palm of Kurt's hand and twisted to face the boy. He swept the tousled hair out of the Kurt's eyes. Surprisingly, Kurt let him without a word. He smiled and held Kurt's face gently in his hands. Then he proceeded to very slowly kiss various places.

"How can this much adorableness exist in one place without warping space-time?" Jeff said as he ran his fingers through Kurt's hair. _Again, no complaints. He must still be asleep __or__ he really loves me._

"Isn't that, like, a black hole?" asked Kurt, apparently waking up.

"Einstein's General Relativity didn't take into account the adorable coefficient of local space. I'm well inside the Schwartzshield-Hummel radius and can observe this first hand." said Jeff grinning.

"How can someone be so adorkably nerdy first thing in the morning?" asked Kurt.

"I'm always nerdy. And supermegasexyawsome..." said Jeff.

Kurt didn't let the boy finish as he started kissing Jeff's grinning mouth. It deepened as they clung together on the couch. Jeff moaned as Kurt grabbed his butt and gave it a squeeze.

"Well. Someone's awake. Good morning to you!" Jeff said with a wider grin.

"What did I ever do to deserve you?" asked Kurt wistfully.

Jeff touched his forehead to Kurt's and kissed the boy's nose lightly. "Strange you should ask such metaphysical questions. My own is 'What does he see in me?' You truly are the most amazing, talented, and yes, sexy, boy I've ever met. And in case I didn't make it clear enough last night, I'm well on the way to falling in love with you."

Kurt pulled Jeff into an even tighter hug, his head on Jeff's shoulder. "I didn't know I would start feeling this way about you when I asked you out. You're fun to be with, make me laugh, and just _listen_ to me. I feel I can just be my bitchy self with you. And you give great hug. If that's what falling in love feels like, then I'm so there. It's so different from a crush. And yes, you are that supermega-whatever. With a very nice ass."

Jeff snorted. "Well, on that note, I'll just shake this nice ass a bit and be right back." Shortly there was the sound a flush, the basin tap running and Jeff returned to the couch. Kurt gave him a quick kiss, did his business and returned to Jeff who was now folding the blankets on the couch. "I don't suppose we'll be getting away with this again tonight. Burt didn't really want us sleeping together, regardless of location. I hope that doesn't make your afternoon to awkward."

Kurt just shrugged and Jeff thought _He's so much better at living in the moment. I just live to worry. _

"Have you given any thought to how you want to spend this glorious, unsupervised time in your parent's house? I can think of several possibilities." Jeff said playfully.

Kurt was turning red. Jeff decided to bail him out.

"One thought was to use the two yoga mats I saw in your closet and run through a yoga routine, clean up, and have brunch. By that time, Carol and Burt should be back."

"I heard no mention of coffee." said Kurt with a pout.

"I'm sure we can arrange something. Now I know why you never made it to the morning yoga classes." said Jeff.

Nothing could be as demanding as Coach Sylvester's 5am Cheerios practices. And it was already the crack of 10 on a Sunday morning.

They went downstairs to find that the remnants of the party had been cleaned up. _Thank you, Finn,_ thought Kurt as he wondered where his brother was this morning.

45 minutes into the workout, Finn and Sam walked in the door to find Kurt and Jeff lying on their stomachs with hands reaching back, grasping their feet, and heads bent back.

_It looks like a weird bow._ thought Finn as he stood open-mouthed watching the two boys. The posse changed to lying face up with lower legs and feet bent back in an almost impossible position. Then it became some sort of seated twist that reminded Finn of a pretzel. Jeff was quietly calling for breath and where to pay attention in each posse. Kurt was almost as flexible as Jeff and they moved gracefully together through the routine. They ended by laying face up on the floor seemingly asleep, except for Jeff's quiet cues directing attention to breath, weight against the floor and finally to give thanks for the time to just be rather than do.

When the two boys stood with towels around their necks, flushed from exertion, Finn finally said "Dude, how was that, like, even possible?"

Jeff grinned. "It's easy if you've been bitten by a radioactive spider." Sam just laughed. It seems this Jeff guy had that affect on him. A lot.

"Yeah, but why aren't you, like, doing it hanging from the ceiling?" said Finn. _I've seen that movie._

Now Jeff was laughing. "Finn, you continue to surprise me. I hope you find someone who really _gets_ you."

Jeff was doing something with a muffin tin, thin ham slices, eggs and fresh herbs. He put it into a preheated oven and set the timer. "Why don't you grab a shower first, babe? Coffee will be ready when you come down."

Kurt gave Jeff a kiss and went upstairs. Shortly, there was the faint sound of a shower.

"Is that supposed to be a workout when it ends with a nap?" asked Finn. Jeff had put on a kettle and was grinding beans for a large vacuum carafe of coffee.

"Yoga and Pilates aren't usually aerobic. I think of them as a 'work-in' where your attention is inside just _being_ rather than outside _doing_." Jeff said as he worked.

Sam smiled. "Yeah, that's where I like to be when I lift. That's the closest I've every heard anyone talk about what I do."

The shower stopped upstairs. "Thanks for cleaning up, Finn." said Jeff. "It was nice to sleep in." The teapot whistled and Jeff poured the water over the grounds.

"No problem. It's the least I could do for that awesome food." Finn was eyeing the leftovers in the frige.

"Have you guys eaten? Kurt and I are doing brunch after we clean up. If you guys can hold out for 20 minutes, join us." Sam and Finn nodded.

"I swear you bring out the Jewish mother in me…now, you guys play nice." called Jeff as he headed up the stairs.

"Yes, mom!" yelled Finn. _Definitely smarter than he looks,_ thought Jeff.

**~.oOo.~**

He walked into the bedroom to find Kurt. In a towel. Again.

"We've got to stop meeting like this. People are going to talk." Jeff smirked. "I look forward to day I can scrub your back and wash your hair. Very slowly." as Jeff kissed the tip of Kurt's nose.

"Don't you have something in the oven?" said Kurt.

"Right. I'll be quick." Jeff said stepping out of his sleeping pants and peeling off his t-shirt. He reached for a clean pair of briefs, walked into the bathroom and closed the door. Ten minutes later he was out, dried, and done. Kurt was sitting at his vanity, doing his moisturizing regime.

_Stripped Fruit of the Looms?_ thought Kurt raising an eyebrow.

"Target (pronounced 'tar jay') Who knew?" said Jeff as if reading Kurt's mind.

"You know", said Kurt, "I was hoping we could have done more than… yoga…this morning."

There it was. The **when are we going to do ****it****?** question.

Jeff finished dressing and sat down on the bed near the vanity. "Me too. But I respect your dad's wishes. That doesn't mean we can't do anything-just not here. I do hope to get to first base or even second base in the very near future."

"I don't think those were covered in my pamphlets." said Kurt.

"Mine either. But we'll figure something out. Cricket has bases too. And play can go on for _days_. And there's the concept of a sticky wicket." Jeff said with a grin. Kurt rolled his eyes.

"I just want you to know that there's no pressure here. We'll do whatever you're comfortable with. Whenever." said Jeff.

Kurt leaned over and gave Jeff a kiss. "Thanks. And same here."

"Besides, from what I've read, the longer you prolong release, the more intense it is." said Jeff playfully.

"Those Victorians had it all mapped out with their 2-year engagements. That's a lot of foreplay." said Kurt.

"Sounds like a paper for AP Psychology." said Jeff with a smirk. "I need to get those eggs out of the oven and make a salad." and after another kiss, this one slightly longer, Jeff was down the stairs and in the kitchen.

He assembled a salad nicoise of mixed greens dressed in a Dijon vinaigrette, sliced potato, tomato wedges, green beans, black olives, capers, and leftover parmesan chicken. The timer dinged and he took out the shired eggs in ham crisps to cool before serving. Sam, Kurt, and Finn seemed to materialize around the breakfast island all at once.

Sam filled his plate with salad and an egg. Kurt and Jeff did the same leaving the remaining three eggs for Finn who eyed the salad doubtfully but took some anyway.

"_Where_ did you get this recipe for the eggs?" said Kurt.

"It's from an old **Queer Eye For A Straight Guy** Christmas show on Youtube."

"There actually was a TV show called that?" snorted Sam.

"Yeah. A cable reality show from 2004. This recipe was on the web. The UK design guy Dane was so beautiful. Someone called him 'a gay Luke Skywalker' in an episode. I saw that show when I was 12. And it stuck with me even though I didn't come out until I was 14. I figured if Luke could be gay, then it would be all right." Jeff's eyes were misty.

"I can so see you sitting on Harrison Ford's lap all smoochie face and Chewie barking 'Get a room'" said Kurt with a smirk.

"That's so not fair! Now, I can't watch **Star Wars** without that picture in my head." whined Finn.

"You know, until I met you Jeff, I never noticed how easy Finn was." said Kurt with an evil grin.

"Now I'm going to have to teach Finn to defend himself. Or else your parents won't like me very much." said Jeff.

Burt and Carol came in through the pantry door to the garage. _Why hadn't he heard the garage door?_ thought Jeff.

"Why won't we like you very much?" asked Burt. _Kurt's dad has superhearing. Good thing he doesn't read minds. I hope._ thought Jeff turning red. Somehow, parents staring at him when he wanted to do X-rated things to their son had this effect on him.

He swallowed. _Oh, he's so cute when he's squirming,_ thought Kurt.

"Uhm. Because I taught Kurt how to tease his brother? And now they're acting like two three-year-olds. Least that's what my mom would say. 'Cause it's what I do with my 15-year-old sister. Uhm. Fight like three-year-olds. Sir." _At least he's looking me in the eye as he's saying this._ thought Burt.

Carol laughed. "Oh, that's nothing new. They've been doing this since they became brothers over 6 months ago. You just gave them different ammo." Burt rolled his eyes.

"I could teach you the 'Bitch Please' face, but you'd be using it against the equivalent of an Olympic Champion." said Jeff as Kurt slapped his shoulder.

Burt cleared his throat. "Actually, Kurt, you and I have a date fixing your car. And Jeff, you said you wanted to come along and watch?"

"Uhm. Sir, I think your time with Kurt is more important. If I have any questions, can I just email you?" asked Jeff. "I was thinking of taking Carol out for tea and scones, then grocery shopping for dinner."

Burt smiled very slightly. "Fine by me."

_If I hadn't watched __**The Devil Wears Prada**__ like 15 times, I would have missed that microexpression._ thought Jeff. _Although Meryl did it better._

**~.oOo.~**

After having tea at the Lima Bean, Jeff and Carol ended up wheeling a cart through the isles of the Lima CostCo. Carol had brought her shopping list and they were taking the opportunity to restock things that the horde of locusts called Finn had decimated in the pantry.

"What were you thinking for dinner?" asked Carol.

"Do you have a meat thermometer and cooking twine?" asked Jeff. Carol nodded. "I have this very easy recipe for an herb encrusted pork loin that's amazing. Pork loin is pretty cheap here. Roasted rosemary potatoes and a kale salad to round it out. I think even Finn will eat that. Tomorrow we could do Chicken Cacciatore with a side of garlic noodles and steamed broccoli. Is there a farmer's market where I can buy herbs? And maybe some tahini and agave syrup?"

"We can swing by the local market." said Carol. "So, tell me about yourself, Jeff. Have you figured out where you're applying to college?"

"I haven't decided if I'm going into technology or psychology like my mom or law like my dad. One thing I do know is that I'll be very active in the community theater wherever I end up. I don't want any sort of Broadway career. I was thinking of either California or New York for college." said Jeff. "I know Kurt has his eye on New York one way or the other. I'll have to talk to him about that. We're still kind of new at the boyfriend thing." said Jeff.

"I thought Kurt was going out with Blaine. I think I met him briefly over the Christmas holidays before he had to go off to see his grandparents. How did you two end up together?"

Jeff told an abbreviated version of their dating soap-opera to Carol. _This boy actually sounds like he's good for Kurt. _thought Carol. _I haven't seen Kurt so happy, except when the wedding came off so flawlessly._ _And after listening to Jeff sing that song last night, hell, __I'd__ go out with him,_ thought Carol.

"The thing I keep thinking about is that this is all going so fast. We just started dating in February. I do care about Kurt a lot and want what's best for him." said Jeff. _This sounds so weird, saying this here, in a supermarket checkout line._ thought Jeff._ Especially to your boyfriend's mother. But it's the truth._

"He's a very special and talented boy." Jeff said earnestly.

**~.oOo.~**

Kurt was having a tough time working on his car while undergoing the 3rd degree about his love life. It was bad enough that he and Burt had had the 'talk'. Now Burt wanted to know if he was sexually active and 'using protection'. And Blaine. Everyone seemed to want to know about fr'iggen Blaine.

"So what happened with this Blaine kid? He was all you talked about last November when you said he helped you adjust to Dalton." asked Burt as he was looking at the readout of the Navigator's on-board diagnostics.

Kurt explained the weird story of Blaine's sexual identity crisis after Burt had found him in Kurt's bed that night. "We needed a break. Things were starting to get…co-dependent."

_Kurt was pretty smart even if he didn't want to talk about stuff_, thought his father. "You know, he really cares about you? He came by and talked to me."

Kurt stopped trying to remove a spark plug. "When was this?"

"The week before your Regionals performance. We talked about Dalton's lack of a sex ed program. He was worried because you wouldn't listen to him when he brought it up. That's why you and I had our little talk." said Burt.

Kurt was turning very red. And a little angry with Blaine for meddling. But after hearing about how Jeff's uncle dealt with his partner dying and how he's still OK because they took precautions, Kurt was glad someone had made him listen.

"Blaine and I are just friends now, Dad. That's all we ever were really. I got tired of waiting for something to happen. So I reached out and made friends. For the first time since 3rd grade, boys didn't act all weird around me. Dalton is amazing that way."

"Is that how you met Jeff?" asked Burt.

"Yes. He's one of the Warblers. We watched movies and studied together for a class we share, then I asked him out to a musical." said Kurt.

Burt didn't know why but he liked the idea that Kurt was driving things with this Jeff kid. He seemed OK. And based on what the kid sang last night, he really seems to care about Kurt.

"He's not pressuring you to do anything, is he?" asked Burt somewhat concerned. He suspected the answer already, because as far as he could tell, Jeff wasn't the type.

"No, Dad. I'm setting the pace. We went on several dates and all we did was hug until I finally kissed him." Kurt was turning red. "He's told me he's old-fashioned and wants to take things slow. Can we stop talking about this now?"

"Just one more thing. Does 'taking it slow' include sleeping with him?" asked Burt.

"We've had a couple sleepovers, some at Dalton and one at his house." said Kurt. "We've kept it PG-13 the whole time."

"I can't control what you do elsewhere unless I confine you to a tower until your 18th birthday. But I do ask that you obey my wishes in my house. I saw you two on your couch this morning."

Kurt was about to protest, but Burt held up his hand. "I'm sure you two behaved. Otherwise you'd be blushing all over the place and a lot more evasive. Don't ever sit down at a poker table, son. Tonight, Jeff is on the couch downstairs. And the only reason he's not gone is because you told me the truth. I didn't expect you do be so sneaky about this. I'm kinda disappointed in you, kiddo."

Kurt didn't know what to say. His dad was being a real hard-ass about this. _Why not tell him the truth?_ thought Kurt. _It can't get any worse._

"I feel so safe with him, Dad. When we're holding each other, it's like, the world goes away." _It's like I'm home,_ thought Kurt.

"I fall asleep and the next thing I know, it's morning. When was the last time that happened?" asked Kurt.

Burt remembered the nightmares and the tossing and turning when Kurt had taken refuge in his bed years ago. And the bruises from the kicks. "When was the last time you had one of those nightmares?" asked Burt.

"I get different ones now, sometimes. Warm milk helps. But I haven't had one with Jeff in my arms. How do you account for that?"

"Kiddo, I can't. And when you're apart?" asked Burt, his tone softening somewhat.

"I sleep. Sometimes I don't." said Kurt.

"Can you just…stay separated? I don't want to set a precedent here. You know. With your brother." said Burt. _I hope this kid doesn't hurt my boy._

"Sure, Dad. We can do that." and they went back to working on the Navigator.

**~.oOo.~**

Jeff's pork loin was a hit. And even though Burt and Finn only had a few mouthfuls of the kale salad at first, they went back for seconds and thirds.

"This is your sweet tahini garlic dressing, isn't it? It would probably work on cabbage or shredded broccoli stems, too." said Kurt. Jeff nodded and smiled, leaning over to whisper "My sous-chef" into Kurt's ear. Kurt blushed.

"So, Jeff. What are you doing this summer?" said Burt as he eyed their little interaction.

"Well, last year I spent the summer in San Francisco with my uncle. I worked as an intern at his software company and was in the chorus of a community theater production of **Rent**. This year, I think that company is doing **Bye Bye Birdy** and **Cats**. I'm really jazzed about trying out for it in June." said Jeff excitedly.

"So, I won't see you until school starts in September?" said Kurt disappointedly.

"We'll be able to Skype and text and talk on the phone." Jeff said hopefully. He hadn't thought about being away from Kurt for a whole summer.

There was silence at the table for a full minute. All you could hear was the clicking of utensils. _Wait for it..._ thought Burt mentally groaning.

"Dad, do you think I could go out and maybe visit for a couple weeks? It's not like you really need me in the garage in August. And it's so hot. We usually go to the shore then anyway." pleaded Kurt.

"We'll see, kiddo. Jeff, we'll talk after dinner. About a bunch of things." said Burt. _Uh oh, _thought Kurt. _Here comes 'the talk'._ Jeff just nodded.

Finn thought about his plans for the summer. They weren't much. Hang out. Play video games with friends. Maybe get a summer job. But it would really suck to be indoors while his friends were out having fun.

But the theater thing sounded awesome. They had stuff like that here in Lima. Maybe Mr. Schue can help out with that. _**Rent**__ might be hard to do since it's got, like, lesbians and gay guys and AIDS in it. __**Bye Bye Birdy**__ would be perfect._ Finn could so see himself as Conrad Birdy, hips all swivelly. Or maybe Sam could do it while he was Albert. And Santana as Rosie. _Casting this would be fun._ Finn decided to check on-line to see what theater groups were in the area.

The pork loin slowly vanished from the serving platter. In the end, there was enough for Burt's lunch tomorrow. Jeff and Kurt finished the last of the salad. "I want these recipes, too. Anything that all my boys will eat is a winner." said Carol.

**~.oOo.~**

Finn volunteered to do the dishes again and Kurt offered to help. Jeff was sitting at the island, typing away on his laptop when Burt pulled him into the den to have their chat. Jeff emerged with a serious look on his face and went back to his computer. _He doesn't look to upset._ thought Kurt.

Kurt finished helping Finn with the stocking the dishwasher and went over to Jeff and was about to get all smoochie face. IM and SMS popups opened on Jeff's desktop.

**Answer your frigging phone /L**

Jeff rolled his eyes, closed his laptop, and went upstairs to retrieve his phone. He was gone 5 minutes before he came down with a grin on his face and phone to his ear.

"'allo Lucy. Ju got some 'splainin to do. Seriously, Luce. Texts like 'Call me' and voicemails like 'stop macking on your boy toy and answer your phone' don't explain why I should interrupt my quality time with Kurt for the joy of talking to you. So, my phone is on. And I'm sending a text." Jeff hung up, typed a message, and pressed SEND, again rolling his eyes.

"So, Kurt's a boy toy, huh?" said Finn with a smile.

"Oh, shut up." said Kurt frowning. But his brother was still grinning.

Jeff's phone rang with the **I Love Lucy** theme. He smiled at Kurt and Finn and answered it "'allo Lu-cy?" Jeff listened and his smile vanished.

"Hold on…Slow down…Where are you?…When did this happen?…Are you OK?…What did the doctors say?…OK, now listen carefully Lucy…call Mrs. Katz. She worked with mom on the steering committee at the temple. I'm a good two and a half hours away. I'll get there just as soon as I can." Jeff's face was grim.

"Kurt, I'm sorry. I'm going to have to cut my stay here short. Mom's in the hospital. She's had a stroke. It's really bad."

**~.oOo.~**

A/N: I didn't know where to break this, so I just wrote about the whole day. Sorry for making it so long.

And, uhm, yeah, the 5 KTonne nuclear plot device at the end. By the time I post this, I'll have over half of the next chapter written, so you won't have to long to wait.

Target is a chain of mid-scale department stores more upscale than Walmart or Kmart, but cheaper than Kohls or JCPenny. I have no idea if they are actually in Ohio.


	10. Hospital

**A/N: I've got some ideas from other authors. If you see something that was in your story, it may very well be. Thanks in advance.**

**I hope readers aren't turned off by my 5 KTonne nuclear plot device. I've been wondering when to introduce it for a while now. Then a friend said "Without conflict, there is no story." And so far, I haven't had much conflict in this multi-chapter darble. Time for some.**

**Secret Admirer / Ch. 10 - Hospital**

Author: TerribleSpy

Rating: T+

Characters: Kurt, Jeff, Blaine (no KLAINE, sorry)

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee. I just want to play in that universe.

**~.oOo.~**

"Finn, sorry. I've got to go." Jeff said grimly. Finn just nodded.

"Kurt, could I get a ride back to Dalton to pick up my car? Then you can head back to keep your date with Mercedes tomorrow." Jeff asked hesitantly.

Kurt's lips pursed. He looked at Jeff like the boy was wearing something from last year's Marc Jacobs collection. On purpose. "Jeff, sure I'll drive you. But I'm staying. No discussion."

The taller boy nodded. "Thanks." A wan smile spread across his face. He enveloped Kurt in a desperate hug and drew a deep breath.

"Let's talk to your mom and dad." Jeff said. He walked up the stairs holding Kurt's hand and knocked on Burt and Carol's partially open door.

"Yes?" came Burt's voice. Jeff opened the door to find Burt and Carol propped up in the bed watching **It's Complicated**. Carol's head was on Burt's shoulder and a bowl of popcorn was between them.

"Hey, Jeff. What's up?" asked Burt as he paused the movie.

"I'm sorry to bother you, Mr. and Mrs. Hummel. I just spoke with my sister Lucy. My mom's in the hospital. They think it's a stroke. I need to cut my visit short." said Jeff.

"Oh, God. Jeff, that's terrible. Are you OK, sweetheart?" asked Carol.

"It hasn't sunk in yet, Mrs. Hummel. I'm sure by the time I get there, the hysterics will start." Jeff said with a forced smile.

"Do you need anything, son?" asked Burt.

"Kurt has kindly volunteered to drive me back to Dalton to get my car. If that's OK with you?" said Jeff.

"It's OK with me if it's OK with Kurt." replied Burt. "It's just you, your mom and sister, isn't it?"

"There's my uncle in San Francisco, sir. I'll call him on the way back to Dalton. We'll be OK until he arrives, probably tomorrow." said Jeff.

"You still call me or Carol if you need anything, OK?" said Burt. Jeff smiled weakly and nodded.

"There's one more thing, sir. Kurt still wants to stay over, until both of us go back to Dalton on Sunday. I'm sure Uncle Ted will be here sometime tomorrow in case you're worried about…what we talked about." Jeff said somewhat shyly.

"Jeff, if I thought you were kind of kid who would be taking advantage of my son, you wouldn't still be here." said Burt sternly.

"Dad!" Kurt turned pink.

"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir." said Jeff with look of relief.

"And Jeff. I'm Burt and this is Carol." Jeff nodded.

Kurt climbed onto the bed and hugged both his parents. "Thank you, Dad. Carol. I'll call you when we get to the hospital."

The boys went to Kurt's room to pack. In the middle of their packing, Kurt noticed Jeff had stopped and was just staring at the shaving kit in his hand.

"Hey you. C'mere." Kurt said as he pulled Jeff down onto the couch. Jeff put his head on Kurt's shoulder and Kurt could feel the blonde boy's face all scrunched up. His breathing was ragged. He stroked Jeff's hair and whispered. "Hey, it sucks. You feel so helpless. I know." He gently kissed Jeff's cheek. Finally, Jeff just let go and started sobbing. "It will all work out. We'll get through this." said Kurt softly, gently rocking Jeff back and forth as if he was a toddler.

Kurt remembered how alone he'd felt when Burt was in the hospital. How he refused any sort of comfort from his friends. Jeff, however, wasn't pushing people away, but holding onto Kurt for dear life. Jeff's sobbing quietly subsided and he lifted his head.

"I'm so lucky to have you in my life. I don't know if I could be strong without someone to be strong beside me." he said in a choking voice.

Kurt took the boy's face in both hands and looked into the red eyes and tear-stained face. "It's going to be OK, babe. I'm right here." he said softly.

Jeff grabbed Kurt into a hug again and kissing him on the cheek. "OK. I'm ready."

They gathered up their things, said goodbye to Carol and Burt and went downstairs. Finn was on his phone. "Sam, let me call you right back." and he hung up.

"Listen, Jeff…uhm…sorry you're having this thing with your mom…uhm… When our Dad…well he was Kurt's dad at the time…was sick, Kurt kinda went a little nuts and pushed people away. You gotta know that I…uhm…the glee club…is here for you. Let us help you if you need anything." Finn said earnestly.

Jeff pulled Finn into a hug. "Thanks, Finn. I kinda see why Kurt had that crush on you last year. But you make an awesome brother." This only made Finn blush.

**~.oOo.~**

On the road, Jeff texted his Uncle Ted to find that the hospital had already contacted him. He was booked a red-eye to Chicago but couldn't get into Columbus until 1pm. Jeff let him know they'd pick him up.

It was then that Kurt remembered he had to call Mercedes about tomorrow. "Cedes? We have a bit of an emergency here…No, it's not about choosing an outfit for tomorrow…Jeff's mom is in the hospital…I'm taking him back to Dalton to get his car…I'm going to stay with him and his sister until the end of the break. Can I reschedule our shopping?…Yes…but he's letting me help him…Thanks for understanding…Yes, I'll let you know if we need anything. Love you." and Kurt hung up.

"So we're a 'we' now?" Jeff smiled weakly.

"Isn't this what you do for the person you love? Oh, and by the way, I'm way past 'starting to fall in love with you'." Kurt said. _Strange how some things just sneak up on you._

Jeff didn't say anything. He just took Kurt's hand from the steering wheel and kissed it. "How about something to distract me until we get to Dalton. What Broadway shows are on your phone?" asked Jeff.

Kurt grinned and said "Let's start with **Wicked**".

**~.oOo.~**

The boys pulled into Westerville Memorial Hospital around 11:30pm after stopping for a pizza for Lucy. Jeff remembered this hospital from when his dad was here. The food in the cafeteria was crap along with the vending machines. And the chairs were too hard to take a nap. God forbid people waiting to see their sick loved ones should be comfortable.

Lucy was waiting for the boys in the reception area. She grabbed the pizza box from Jeff as he walked in and receded to a corner to devour it in private.

"You're welcome…" called Kurt sharply.

"Careful. It's eating." said Jeff.

"Are you two always like this?"

Jeff flashed Kurt the Bitch Please™ face he tried to teach to Finn. Kurt just rolled his eyes.

They asked for Jeff's mom at the hospital information desk but were told that visiting hours were over. "I'm her son. Can I talk to her doctor?" The receptionist made a call and told Jeff to go up to the third floor waiting area. They told Lucy where they were going and she waved them off "No food allowed." as she stuffed her face.

Jeff talked to the charge nurse on the nurse's station. She looked through a binder. "We're keeping your mom stable until we can run tests in the morning to find out what areas are affected. Here's some pamphlets on stroke to give you a background. Her doctor should be in at 10am and you can discuss her case with him."

"Can I leave contact info and you can call me if anything changes?" The nurse nodded, took Jeff and Kurt's cell numbers, and made notes in the binder.

Jeff turned to Kurt. "This is going to sound selfish, but I want to sleep in my own bed tonight rather than here." he said, sounding very tired. Kurt just nodded.

They went back downstairs to find Lucy attempting to play Angry Birds on her phone while it was plugged into a charger. "Sis, how are you holding up? You doing OK?" Jeff said softly.

"I'm well passed 'freaked out' and all the way up to 'What the f- is happening?'" she said all pissed off. "They won't tell me anything."

Jeff sat next to her. "Me either. My guess is they're waiting for Uncle Ted but he won't be here until tomorrow afternoon. Kurt and I are picking him up at the airport."

"I'm coming with you." she said. Jeff nodded.

"Now, we have a choice. We can stay here and sleep on these lovely chairs." said Jeff. Lucy made a face.

"Or we can camp out in Kurt's Navigator until 10am tomorrow." Lucy made less of a face.

"Or we can sleep at home and come in tomorrow to talk to the doctor. The hospital has all our cell numbers and will call us if there's any problem." said Jeff.

"I'll take 'Sleeping At Home for $100'" said Lucy.

They stood and walked out their cars. "Oh, by the way. Never play Jeopardy with her. Especially for money." said Jeff in a whisper.

**~.oOo.~**

Kurt followed Jeff to his house through the dark, unfamiliar Westerville streets. He called Burt and Carol to let them know what was going on and hung up just as he pulled into Jeff's driveway. He parked his car next to Jeff's silver Prius and followed him and his sister into the house.

"I'm going to hop in the shower before bed. I'm a wreck." said Jeff.

"Want some warm milk? It really helps Finn and me to fall asleep." offered Kurt. Jeff smiled and nodded, then headed up stairs.

Kurt followed Lucy into the kitchen and got the milk out of refrigerator. Lucy watched as Kurt poured the milk into mugs and offered some to her. She nodded.

He put one mug in the microwave and set the timer.

"You know, I've never seen Jeff react this way to a boy." she said.

"What way?" asked Kurt.

"Totally, head-over-heels in LLLLLOOOOVVVVEEEE. What did you do to him?" she asked. The microwave dinged. Kurt took the mug out and handed it to Lucy. He filled two more mugs and put them in the microwave to heat. She slowly sipped her hot milk.

"I blew in his ear and now he'll follow me anywhere." said Kurt with a smirk. Lucy just pursed her lips. "Seriously, I just asked him out, we studied and watched movies together." Kurt said.

"He invited me to cook with him and things just sort of clicked. I've never met anyone like him. Both nerdy and hot. And I never thought I feel this way about him."

"He doesn't have a lot of friends outside of the Warblers. There aren't many straight boys that can deal with a dancing gay nerd." Lucy said sadly. Under all the snark, she really did care about her brother. "Listen, if you hurt him…"

"No need to finish that thought." said Kurt. "I really do care about him and would never dream of hurting him."

"Good, because I like you. You're fun. And it would be a pain to have to dispose of your body."

The microwave dinged and Kurt removed the two hot mugs. "Good night Lucy. I'll see you in the morning." She just nodded and continued drinking her hot milk.

Kurt carefully carried the mugs up to Jeff's room only to find Jeff sitting on his bed, shirtless, staring at a colorfully patterned Ferragamo shirt in his hands. He looked up as Kurt put the mugs down on the bedside table and sat down beside him.

"Mom stopped buying my clothes when I started going to Dalton. This shirt is one of the last things she bought me. It's some French designer thing from a department store. It still fits and looks great on me." Jeff drew a breath, trying to hold back his tears. Kurt didn't correct him about Salvatore Ferragamo being Italian. And it did look really great on him.

"When dad had his heart attack, I didn't know I would never speak to him again. I don't want that to happen with mom. There's so much I want to say to her. About what I want to do with my life. About you. About _us_. She can't go. I'm not done yet." Jeff said still trying not to cry.

Kurt's voice was soft. "I was so scared of being left alone when my dad had his heart attack. Having to come home to me every day was probably what kept dad going after mom died. You've got Lucy. And Uncle Ted."

Kurt twisted sideways and put both his arms around Jeff's bare shoulders, lightly kissing the shoulder closest to him. "And me. You have me." he said softly.

Jeff took a deep breath and exhaled. He turned and looked into Kurt's eyes. The tears started to slowly slide down his face.

"I love you"

"I know." said Kurt.

The two boys sat there for while and Jeff leaned his head over onto Kurt who was still facing him from the side. Jeff drew a ragged breath and managed a little chuckle.

"What?" said Kurt.

"You realize you just made me Princess Leia, right?" said Jeff.

Kurt's mystified look prompted Jeff to explain.

"Hello? **Empire Strikes Back**? Han Solo encased in carbonite?" grinned Jeff. "Work with me here."

Kurt just rolled his eyes. Again. "Well, princess. You were going to take a shower? Finish your hot milk. And save me some hot water."

**~.oOo.~**

A/N: I didn't want to do a lot of research on stokes and suddenly, Fresh Aire had an interview with someone who had a personality change due to their stoke. There was also Jill Bolte Taylor's TED talk which I continue to find utterly fascinating. So that changed the possibilities for Rose.


	11. Prognosis

**A/N: I've got some ideas from other authors. If you see something that was in your story, it may very well be. Thanks in advance.**

**A number of reviewers have mention that there's no Klaine in this fic. Yes, that's true. Currently, there is no Klaine. It will change but take a while. Should I change the category to Kurt and Jeff, and Blaine as a secondary character and change it later or keep it as a Kurt/Blaine story. It won't end up 100% Klaine in any case. If you think that's false advertising, then I'll recategorize the story.**

**Secret Admirer / Ch. 11 - Prognosis**

Author: TerribleSpy

Rating: T+

Characters: Kurt, Jeff, Blaine (currently in Canada) (no KLAINE, sorry)

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee. I just want to play in that universe.

**~.oOo.~**

The morning, so far, had been frustrating. The boys were up at 9am with the hospital calling them to let them know that Rose's doctor wouldn't be in until 12noon. Rather than wait to see him, then rush to the airport, Jeff proposed they go for a run, grab some lunch, and go meet Uncle Ted's plane.

Kurt figured exercise was one of the ways Jeff coped with emotional stuff. He could see that. He really had to _focus_ to do one of Coach Sylvester's routines. Otherwise he'd screw it up, or worse, get hurt. Kurt and Jeff changed into running shorts and t-shirts. Kurt was glad he'd packed his All Stars. They'd do for running. Lucy joined the boys but each was in their own iPod-encased world as they ran through the park on a lovely cool spring morning.

Afterwards, they sat on a bench and drank from their water bottles. Lucy was uncharacteristically quiet. Jeff leaned over and hugged her. "Hey. We'll figure it out." he said quietly.

Finally, Lucy spoke. "Geeze. If I had known that getting you laid would have civilized you, I'd have found you a boy toy years ago." Lucy said rolling her eyes.

Jeff grinned. "That's what you think is happening?"

"Why else are you being so nice to me?" she said.

"Because you're my sister and I love you. And you're probably freaking out. I know I am."

Lucy looked at Jeff. Then she turned to Kurt, put both hands on his shoulders, and said "Whatever you've done with my brother, I want him back and unharmed. Well, maybe slightly harmed is OK."

Jeff said with a straight face "Gee, Lucy. I fell asleep next to this pod last night and now I feel wonderful. How come you aren't any different?"

"Nevermind." she said.

They stopped at the grocery store and Jeff used his emergency credit card to buy groceries. Something nice for Uncle Ted's dinner and good coffee for Kurt. They made it home by 11:30 and Lucy bounded out of the car only to disappear into the house. Jeff and Kurt put away the food.

The boys went upstairs to clean up. Jeff knocked on door to the bathroom he shared with his sister. Well, it was hers since he was hardly ever home. "Lucy? Can you pass me that shower caddy of products?"

"I'm not done with them yet. This new shampoo smells nice. But since when do you use a moisturizer? Oh. I get it. You want some good clean fun with Kurt." she said through the door.

It opened and a wet hand handed the dripping caddy to Jeff. "Thanks Luce. I bought this stuff for Kurt with my own allowance. If you want some, I'll send you the link on Amazon." said Jeff as he put a towel under the dripping caddy.

"It's through here. You go first." he said as he led Kurt through the master bedroom to the larger bathroom. The large clawfoot tub and "drenching rainfall" handheld shower attachment gave Kurt ideas. He pulled Jeff close to gave him a peck on the cheek. He felt all sweaty and gross, after all. "Thanks for buying those products for me. I just realized I never thanked you." said Kurt as Jeff smiled.

Kurt disappeared into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. Ten minutes later, he emerged wearing a towel around his waist and another to dry his hair. Jeff blew Kurt a kiss and closed the bathroom door.

Kurt looked around the room as he dried his hair noticing various small, framed family photos. Rose and a tall dark blonde man, most likely Jeff's dad, a younger, much blonder Jeff, and Lucy as a little girl. They were in some tropical location all wearing matching outfits and smiling for the camera. Jeff, Rose, and Lucy smiling outdoors with Lucy holding some athletic trophy. And Jeff with an older man and the Golden Gate bridge in the background. _Last summer?_ thought Kurt.

Kurt went into Jeff's room, pulled on some boxer briefs under the towel and put the sweaty clothes and towels to air dry over the edge of the laundry hamper. He pulled on a black v-neck and jeans.

Kurt knocked on the bathroom door and Lucy opened it. She was about to blow dry her hair. Kurt started an abbreviated version of his moisturizing regime in the sink next to her as they eyed each other.

Lucy finished quickly but her hair went every which way. She tried taming it with a brush. "You're using to high a setting on the dryer. It opens the cuticle up and makes your fine hair frizzy. And it can also damage it. Did you use my shampoo and conditioner?" Lucy shook her head "no" and named her usual cheap store brands.

Kurt made a face as if she was a contestant on **What Not To Wear** who had decided to ignore the fashion advice. "That stuff is terrible for your type of hair. Sometimes it's worth spending more for good hair products. In your case, Suave has a good quality product at CostCo that would work for you."

She smiled. "You're a lot more useful than a computer nerd. It was OK while he's rooting around pulling cabling and setting up the network closet. This was before wireless, which doesn't reach through the whole house anyway. Oh, he really loved me telling him to come out of the closet, but I was 11. It was the best I could do."

"Oh, I think he has _other_ uses." Kurt said with a smile. "What about you? Anyone special in your life? You're a freshman at Crawford, right?"

Lucy nodded. "I tend to like the brainy jock type. Dalton's full of them but often they're more interested in each other rather than me. It seems kinda stalkery just watching the teams on the bleachers without cheering for someone." she said.

"You might try going out for the cheerleading squad." mused Kurt. Lucy made a face.

"Hear me out. I was on the squad at my old high school." Kurt continued. Lucy's left eyebrow went up.

"I did it to get solos, really. My glee club didn't appreciate my talent. I got to sing **4 Minutes** at a pep rally to a standing ovation. And I sang a 20-minute Celine Dion medley in French at Nationals in DC. The exercise is killer but it has improved my balance." said Kurt. "The only problem was the 5:30am practice every morning."

"You're insane." said Lucy making a face.

"Don't I know it. I had to record an entire season **Project Runway** and watch it later because I was to tired to stay up. But it was worth it. I wouldn't have been able to keep up with you two this morning if I hadn't been on the Cheerios." said Kurt.

"So the uniform wasn't part of it? Some guys have a thing for cheerleaders. It's not just a straight thing, I'm sure." said Lucy with a smirk. _Does Jeff?_ wondered Kurt.

"Or schoolgirls in bobby socks." said Kurt right back. "I think that look totally works for you. All you need is a cherry lollipop and sunglasses."

"Shut uuppp! I read **Lolita**. It was gross." said Lucy as she slapped Kurt's shoulder playfully.

"We should go shopping. My BFF Mercedes and I are overdue." said Kurt to Lucy's growing smile. Kurt finished up and cleaned up the sink.

"If you can train Jeff to do that, I'll be eternally grateful." said Lucy in mild annoyance.

"I'm still working on my step-brother Finn. But I think Jeff is trainable. And smarter. And cuter."

"Hey guys. It's noon." called Jeff as he poked his head in the bathroom door. "We're going to have to scramble and pack lunches to make it on time."

**~.oOo.~**

"So, I'm trainable, huh?" Jeff said as he checked the flight status on his phone while Kurt drove the Navigator through mid-day traffic.

"Well, only if I used my black whip." said Kurt playfully.

"Oh good. You won't have to borrow mom's. Jeff has to all the time." said Lucy. "At least, that's what he keeps saying."

"You guys should have a comedy act." said Kurt rolling his eyes.

They parked as the flight was due to land. Jeff texted Uncle Ted they were meeting him at baggage claim. They didn't have long to wait. The baggage carousel started moving and bags started coming up through the opening in the center and sliding down onto the rotating metal plates.

The older man Kurt had seen in the picture with Jeff came into the baggage area. Late 40s, with brown hair, only a little gray at the temples, slightly heavy and shorter than Kurt. His eyes were the same blue green as Kurt's but looked very tired. He wore a battered black leather jacket over a wrinkled, striped button down, khaki pants and Nike Frees. There was a pink triangle pin on the jacket's left breast pocket. He carried a backpack like some high school kid as his carry-on. Obviously, fashion was not something he thought about. Jeff and Lucy surrounded him on both sides with desperate hugs.

"Uncle Ted!" cried Lucy softly, breaking down. Ted hugged her tighter. Jeff was hugging him from the side before switching to his shoulder, which was awkward because Jeff was a good 3" taller than the older man.

Ted noticed Kurt standing in front of him watching this sad reunion. He took the hand from around Jeff and extended it to Kurt.

"Ted Goldman. You must be Kurt."

"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Goldman." said Kurt shaking his hand.

"That was my dad. Please call me Ted." he said with a sad smile. "I wish we could have met under more joyous circumstances, but go no, it is what it is."

Kurt nodded. "Which bags are yours…uhm Ted?"

"Ah." Ted pointed. "Just that one. With the rainbow and pink ribbons around the handle. Makes it easy to find at the airport, except maybe at the Pride run in Hawaii."

Kurt got Ted's bag off the carousel, extended the handle, and waited for the group to decide what to do. Finally, Ted spoke.

"Have you eaten yet? I could use a sandwich. I've got a three o'clock with Rose's doctor and I'm sorta running on fumes and $7 airport coffees." said Ted.

Jeff disengaged himself from his uncle and poked his sister. "Hey. Cruella. Let go of the fur coat."

Ted shook his head. "I swear these two find the weirdest, most entertaining ways to insult each other. I could use their stuff for an open mic night."

Kurt smiled. "Yep. Imagine them in 70 years having to stay in separate assisted living facilities." The older man actually _giggled_.

To Jeff, Kurt said "The Lima Bean? It's across from the hospital."

"Sounds good. 'Lay on, MacDuff, and damned be him who first cries 'Hold! enough!'" said Jeff.

Kurt whispered to Jeff "That all depends on what you want me to hold, doesn't it?" This only made Jeff blush. Ted and Lucy saw this and were both smirking while they walking to the car. Ted pulled out some vintage tortoise shell RayBan Wayfarers from his backpack. Kurt silently approved.

**~.oOo.~**

They ordered a sandwich for Ted and drinks, then sat down at a corner table with their bag lunches. There was idol chit-chat where Ted wished Lucy a happy 15th birthday (apparently, it was last week) and asked after Jeff's solo at Regionals.

Finally, he said "About your mom. I approved a fMRI and CT scan via, get this, fax. We should know more at the meeting today. And Lucy, I'm assuming you're part of this? To me, you're an adult and deserve to know what's going on." Lucy just nodded and flushed at the implied complement.

Jeff was just about to say something when Kurt's hand shot out and covered his mouth. Jeff blushed. "Don't tease your sister." said Kurt in a quiet yet surprisingly authoritative tone.

"Thanks." grinned Lucy but she stuck her tongue out at Jeff.

Kurt took his hand away only to reveal that Jeff was grinning, too. He caught Kurt's hand and kissed it. Ted took all this in. These two were obviously together. He hoped this helped rather than complicated matters down the road.

**~.oOo.~**

They walked across the street to the hospital and went to a group of offices on the third floor. There was no receptionist. As they waited a common area outside, Ted made a call on his iPhone but Kurt couldn't make out what he was saying. He put on a Bluetooth headset and clipped the phone to his shirt pocket so it poked over the top.

An older man, maybe 60, with gray hair and a goatee poked his head out of one of the offices. Ted noticed he shared the cramped space with another physician. The older man disappeared back into the office and reemerged with a plastic model of the human head, a binder, and an iPad.

"Hello, are you Ted Goldman?" the older man asked and Ted nodded. "Dr. Zachory Smith. I'm Rose's neurologist. You're her brother, from California?" Dr. Smith had to put down the binder and iPad to extend his hand. Ted nodded again and shook it.

"This is Lucy, Jeff, and Kurt." said Ted. They all just nodded.

"Since we have a group, let's go into the conference room to talk." said Dr. Smith. He sat and began poking icons on the iPad and the large flatscreen at one end of the room lit up with a picture of a computer desktop. A cursor moved, opening folders, selecting a file, and opening it. It displayed, filling the screen. Ted, Lucy, Kurt and Jeff sat down on one side of the table with Zac on the other across from Ted.

"Before we start, I think it's better if Lucy waits outside." Zac said.

Lucy just shook her head scowling, daring him to kick her out.

"OK then…" and Zac proceeded to layout what happened to Rose with the help of the plastic model, which opened to reveal a brain that could be sectioned to show internal structures. He pointed to areas on the image on the flatscreen, using the iPad to direct a cursor and draw on the image, circling a dark area in red, and pointing to that area on the model. Apparently, Rose had some sort of congenital defect that caused a hemorrhage. They'd stopped the bleeding and her intercranial pressure was good but they needed to go in and "clean things up". Then there was recovery and rehabilitation.

He hadn't said so, but Dr. Smith was implying that this was a long-term thing, not something that Rose was going to recover from in a week or even a month. He finished his presentation and asked to speak to Ted in private. Jeff and Lucy protested but Ted said "Give us a minute, OK? Then we'll go see your mom."

Kurt was only half listening. He was watching Jeff and Lucy as shock and a numbness settled over them during the presentation. All three stood and filed out of the room. _It will be worse once they see her_, thought Kurt. He grabbed Jeff's hand and put his arm around Lucy as they sat down in the waiting room.

Ted was in the office for another 10 minutes. He came out and found Jeff seated with Kurt's head on his shoulder listening to music with a pair of shared earbuds. Lucy was playing Angry Birds on her phone. "Thanks for all your help, Doctor." he said smiling and Dr. Smith smiled back. Kurt noticed that both smiles didn't reach their eyes.

The foursome went down the hall to Rose's semi-private room and found her laying unconscious in one of the beds, connected to machines. An oxygen canulla was hooked around her ears and under her nose. An IV line was in her arm. She was very pale compared to the last time Kurt had seen her.

Lucy started crying. Jeff held Rose's hand and said with his voice cracking "Mom? I'm here…I brought Kurt…You remember him…He's the boy I love…We both want you to get better…OK?…We'll be here for you 'till you get better."

Kurt knew what this felt like because he'd stood over Burt's hospital bed feeling just as helpless. He didn't know why, but his hand reached out and took Jeff's, and he started humming **I Want To Hold Your Hand**. Ted was having 'a moment' too, trying not to tear up and to stay strong for Jeff and Lucy. He started humming and reached for Kurt's other hand and took Lucy's. Then Lucy took Rose's other hand, completing the circle.

After a few minutes, the humming died down. Jeff was actually trying to hum the harmony to what Kurt was humming. Ted brought his hands so that they covered Lucy's, Jeff's and Rose's. "Rosie, I'm gonna… take care of your family while you're here…OK? Don't worry about them. Just…just…come back to me…to us." he said quietly. He leaned down and kissed his sister on the forehead. Jeff and Lucy each kissed their mother on the cheek and all three finally disengaged their hands.

"We'll be back to see you later. Rest easy now." said Ted to the unconscious woman. To the boys and Lucy, he said "Let's head back to the house."

On the way back, Ted laid it all out. Rose's prognosis was pretty bad. Dr. Smith thought Rose would need long-term care and rehabilitation to be able to function, even minimally after her surgery. What that meant for Jeff and Lucy in the short term was that Ted was staying to sort out things. Longer term, like in June, they'd discuss at dinner. The rest of the drive was in silence.

When they got home, Ted pulled Jeff and Lucy into a hug. After a few minutes, he said softly "Guys. It's going to work out. I promise. Now this old guy's gotta to lay down for an hour or so. I can't do all nighters any more. Don't let me go any longer than a hour or else I won't sleep tonight." And with that, Ted went upstairs to Rose's bedroom to lie down.

"I seriously want to hurt someone or break something right now." said Lucy. "How about a game of Tekken on the Wii?"

Jeff shook his head. "I want to work on a paper. Thompson's class?" Kurt made a face.

Lucy looked at Kurt, who raised an eyebrow at Jeff's warning look. _Don't pay for money_, Jeff had warned.

"Lead on", Kurt said as they walked into the living room with it's flat screen and Wii controller.

Finn's obsession with video games coupled with his tendency to whine whenever he didn't get his way had provided Kurt with ample opportunity to learn what games he was good at. And that he liked to win. A lot.

His education continued at Dalton. While he couldn't match Nick and Jeff or Wes and David in first-person shooters, he liked some of the fantasy games. And only Blaine and the other actual guitarists could beat him at Guitar Hero. He'd yet to challenge Jeff at Dance Revolution, and that might be really interesting at some point. The exercise 'games' on the Wii made him feel like he was actually doing something productive.

Tekken, a martial arts fighting simulation, depended on hand/eye coordination as well as real footwork. Kurt's favorite avatar used a pair of sai swords, just like Raphael. Finn strategy was brute force being the football player that he was. Kurt just had to wait until he saw an opening and out maneuver his brother. _It's a pity such things don't translate into real life. Then Karovsky would be hamburger if I had anything to say about it._ thought Kurt. He'd managed to win against his step-brother more times than not. Well, maybe he let Finn win so he'd continue playing Kurt. He could be such a baby sometimes.

Playing Lucy was a classic short-con. Kurt underplayed, letting her win until he had Lucy's approach figured out then won a little. Eventually, she suggested making their play more 'friendly' by having side bets. He let her win again only to slaughter her in the end. They were both panting.

Rather than whine and sulk like Finn, she was excited and gave Kurt a hug. "Finally, a worthy adversary!"

"But you owe me mochas for two weeks. That doesn't annoy you?" said Kurt.

Lucy just shook her head and smiled. "You're sneakier than I am. I like that in a man."

Jeff poked his head into the living room to find a scary sight-his boyfriend and his sister laughing and having a good time. _That can't be good_, thought Jeff. "Guys? We are ordering takeout. Any preference? Thai, Chinese, Indian, Italian?"

Lucy said "I vote Chinese so long as it's not Colonel Chu's House of Gristle."

"The Chinese takeout in Lima is pretty bad. I trust you and your excellent taste. And you know what I like. So, Chinese, please." said Kurt.

_Jeff knew Kurt's food preferences._ Lucy was starting to realize that Kurt and her brother were way beyond "getting some". It made her smile.

They went into the kitchen where Ted was making a pot of tea. "So. What's the consensus?" he asked.

"Chinese." they all said. Jeff pulled out his phone, scrolled through the contacts, and dialed a number. "I've used this place for late night Warbler parties. They'll deliver to campus and they're very good."

"Hello, Annie? Hi, it's Jeff…Hi…how are you?…Oh, I'm OK…Ah, I'd like to order…" said Jeff.

Kurt tuned out the rest of the conversation noticing Ted was consoling Lucy again. Every so often, her tough guy façade would crack and the scared 15-year-old girl underneath would show through. Both Ted and Jeff (when he wasn't teasing her) were good with her.

Jeff got off the phone. "It will be ready in 20 minutes. Fancy a drive through scenic Westerville with your boyfriend, babe?"

"Actually," said Ted, "why don't you take Lucy? I want to talk to Kurt." Jeff's eyebrows went up.

"Do you need money?" asked Ted.

"No, I'm good. I'll use the emergency credit card. I'm saving receipts so you can track what I'm spending." Ted just nodded.

Jeff got his coat and bent to give Kurt a quick kiss, but Kurt pulled him closer, deepening the kiss. After minute of this, Lucy coughed and said "At least we know who's good at holding their breath. And we know what _that's_ good for. Da boyz gotz skillz."

Jeff broke apart from Kurt, who actually whimpered. "That's enough, Lucy." he said turning red. "Why don't you go annoy your friends. I'll be back with the food in a few." Jeff checked for his wallet and keys, put on his coat, and stomped out the front door.

Ted grinned "Oooohhhh. Score one for Lucy."

She looked at Ted surprised. "You're not going to yell at me for teasing him?"

"What fun would that be?" said Ted and Kurt laughed. "All I ask is that you take any bloodshed outside and don't damage any furniture or fixtures."

Lucy's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Fine." she said and she went up to her room.

Ted poured himself a mug of tea, added some milk, and offered some to Kurt who shook his head. "So, tell me about you and Jeff." asked Ted, taking a sip from his mug.

**~.oOo.~**

Half-empty cartons of Chinese food were strewn across the counter. Kurt had insisted they eat off of plates rather than straight from the cartons as Lucy wanted to. There was enough left for a nice lunch for two tomorrow. And Jeff was right. This place was good. Pawns with walnuts. Garlic Beef with asparagus. Dry fried greenbeans. You could actually taste the ingredients rather than an overly salty and greasy sauce.

"You know, Uncle Ted. I finally got your joke about always getting left-handed chopsticks. We had a unit on organic chemistry." Jeff said lightly. Kurt snorted. _Chop sticks aren't 'handed'._

Lucy packed up and put away the remains of the food into the fridge. Jeff and Kurt cleared away the dishes, rinsed them, and loaded them into the dishwasher. Uncle Ted wiped down the counter and made a mug of green tea.

They all sat back down at the table and looked expectantly at Ted. "First off, your mom. I'm not very happy with her doctor's prognosis. It was all I could do to keep from saying 'Danger Will Robinson! Danger!' at some points." Kurt was puzzled, but Jeff was grinning. Lucy rolled her eyes. _Time for some Google-fu later_, thought Kurt.

"Anyway, I recorded our interview to send to a friend who is head of Neurology at UCSF. Their medical school faculty and teaching hospital has one of the highest number of Nobel Prize winners in the country. I think they can do more for her than this place. That hospital is also run by one of the largest HMOs in the Midwest along with lots of nursing and convalescent facilities. They have an interest in making money. Dr. Smith gave me pamphlets for a few in the area to 'help me make a decision on her long-term care'. I wonder if he gets any sort of bonus for 'patient retention'. If we can get someone from UCSF to take over her treatment, I'd feel a lot better about her long-term prospects." said Ted.

"Do you think she's being mistreated?" asked Jeff with a note of concern.

"No, I think they're doing what's considered the 'standard of care' for severe stroke patients. But I think of it as shopping at K-Mart. I want to take her to Nordstrom's for their service or even Needless Markup for couture rather than off-the-rack." said Ted. He noticed Kurt's grin at the analogies. "The thing is, that would involve moving her to the Bay area away from here. Think about that for a moment."

Ted continued "That takes me to you guys and the next few months. I'm going to contact my office tomorrow to see about working from here but I can't do it for very long. Luce, how would you feel about staying at Crawford for the rest of the school year, if you could? Jeff would still be around and you guys could see each other but you'd live there."

Lucy looked surprised. Ted tried to gauge her reaction but couldn't. "You don't have to answer right now. Just know that I'm prepared to be here until June if I need to, so you'll still be in your own bed. I may try to have you stay at Crawford for a week while I get Rose moved to California." Lucy nodded.

"Then we come to the summer. I don't see any way around it, unfortunately. I can't really stay here. At some point, you guys are going to have to stay with me in San Francisco. Maybe only for the summer. Jeff can go back to Dalton in the fall and Lucy can board at Crawford. Rose would be at a facility near me. One with more alternative care options, specifically for stroke rehab." Jeff and Lucy nodded.

"Jeff, do you still want to do the intern and theater thing? You've got _other_ considerations now." Ted looked at Kurt.

Jeff looked down, then up at Kurt, then at Ted. "I wanted to talk to you about that. It's one thing to take care of me all summer. It's another to take on me and Kurt. That is, even if his parents let him.

"And now it sounds like Lucy as well. I wonder if we can deal with it. Think about it. Three gay bois and a straight girl under one roof? And Lucy, Kurt, and I would have to share a bathroom. Seriously. We should make a Bravo reality show." said Jeff with a strained smile.

Ted and Kurt grinned but Lucy was frowning. Ted said "I'd have to make some adjustments to give Lucy her own room. But I think we can make it work."

Kurt spoke up. "I've already asked my dad about taking two weeks vacation with Jeff. If you talk to him, that might help." he offered.

Ted took a deep breath and a sip of his green tea. "Well, I think that about covers what I was thinking. What about you guys?"

"What about this house?" asked Lucy. It was, after all, where she'd spent most of her childhood.

"If we relocate to San Francisco, it would probably be sold. That reminds me. I need to contact an attorney to solidify the guardianship thing and make this all legal. A single man taking minors across state lines. I'm not comfortable with that."

"And now, the final question of the evening. What would you guys be doing if this hadn't all happened?" asked Ted.

Kurt looked to Jeff. "Well, I would have gone shopping with Jeff and my BFF Mercedes here in Westerville today. Tomorrow was unbooked." Jeff continued. "Then we'd be here. I was thinking of things to do, like I want to take Kurt dancing." Kurt's eyes lit up at that prospect.

"We both have projects to complete for Dalton, so we'd probably work on them. Towards the weekend, we'd try and hang with any Warblers that live in the area. I hadn't thought that far in advance. But I'm sure we'd come up with something to do." said Jeff.

Lucy just shrugged. "I was just going to hang with my friends and tease my brother and his boy toy. Maybe catch a movie. Shopping. I don't know. I'm 15. It's school vacation. Does sleeping late count as an activity?"

Kurt smiled and leaned toward Lucy and said "That's Mr. Boy Toy to you missy."

Lucy smiled back and said "There is another thing we could do. Did you know that Jeff is ticklish?" Jeff's face flashed alarm as both Lucy and Kurt looked at him.

"Wait. That's not fair! It's bad enough I can't fight back against her. Now you, too?" Jeff said getting up from the table and backing away. Lucy started to laugh. A very special, evil scientist laugh. It sounded very strange coming from a 15-year-old girl.

"Igor, help me contain the creature." she said. Kurt giggled and said "Yesssss, mist-ressss."

Jeff shrieked and ran from the room, only to have Lucy and Kurt scrabble behind him. Kurt was cackling, but in a loving way. He was going to get tickle his boyfriend.

Ted watched this little display and did a double facepalm. _Fastening my seatbelt wasn't going to help. _he thought. _It was going to be a very interesting and bumpy three months._

**~.oOo.~**

A/N: can you tell I have experience arguing with siblings? I think future dialog with Kurt, Lucy, and Jeff is going to lots of fun.

I have no training in medicine or neurology and only made some guesses about what might happen or could happen with a stroke. I also don't know who runs hospitals in the Midwest or if Nordstrom's has any stores there.

I know very little about gaming. A client who's a game developer told me about the various types of fighting games. My original idea was 'robot boxing', which would not be very popular. How do you connect with controlling or fighting a robot? He said the boxing games with selectable avatars usually allow kids to choose animals and teenagers to choose ultrabuff Zena-like female fighters (blintware as Cory Doctorow calls it) or macho ninja types. I know Tekken doesn't run on the Wii. But Wii Sports looked boring. That was a lot of research for three paragraphs.


	12. Cavalry

**A/N: I've got some ideas from other authors. If you see something that was in your story, it may very well be. Thanks in advance.**

**No explicit descriptions but it's getting suggestive.**

**Secret Admirer / Ch. 12 - Cavalry**

Author: TerribleSpy

Rating: T+

Characters: Kurt, Jeff, Blaine (no KLAINE, sorry)

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee. I just want to play in that universe.

**~.oOo.~**

The tickle fight between Jeff and Kurt escalated into a weird place when Kurt stopped attacking Jeff's ribs and placed a rather juicy raspberry on Jeff's bare belly. When Kurt's dad had done this to him years ago, Kurt had laughed so hard he'd had to pee. Lucy stood at the side egging Kurt on.

But Jeff slowly stopped laughing and finally said in a strangled voice "Kurt. Kurt. Please. Stop."

Kurt sat up and saw Jeff's face was bright red and his eyes were dilated. Jeff drew up his knees and scrabbled back against his headboard to guard against further attack.

Kurt turned to Jeff's sister and said "Lucy, would you excuse us?" She smirked but nodded and left Jeff's room.

"Are you OK? I'm sorry if I did anything wrong." Kurt said, a little worried.

"Oh. God no, baby. Just don't do _that_ again." said Jeff in a grovelly voice. "Unless, you are prepared for things to get really serious and spend the rest of the night doing oh so many things to me as I moan and scream your name."

Kurt blushed deep red.

Jeff saw the surprise in Kurt's eyes. "Oh, don't worry. You'd get your turn. A couple times at least." Jeff said with a feral grin. Kurt made a suggestion.

"Uhm…sorry, baby. I'd love to have you help me out with this…uhm…not so little problem." said Jeff as he smiled wanly. "But #1 - my mom is in the hospital in a coma. That's a magnitude 5 in the Richter Scale of Jewish Guilt. And #2 - your dad warned me to 'behave myself' if I wanted you to visit me in the summer."

"Hey!" Kurt barked in protest. "That's blackmail. And it's none of his business."

"Yeah, well. He's got me by the short and curlies. What can I do? I really want to see you this summer, baby. Besides, I think it's good that we wait. I want you to be my first in so many things." Jeff said as he tenderly kissed Kurt. Kurt sighed.

"For now, we'll have to be good little PG-13 rated boys and just talk about the X-rated things we'd like to do to each other. Then we can ignore the problem Disney-style or deal with our frustrations in private." said Jeff. Kurt continued to blush but had to admit to himself that he was already using this approach.

Jeff gave Kurt a last toe-curling kiss, collected his sleeping pants and t-shirt, and excused himself to take a cold shower.

Kurt thought a moment then called through the bathroom door. "If you're 'up' for it, we could go shopping tomorrow. You, me, Lucy and Mercedes?" suggested Kurt.

"Ha ha. Yeah sure. We can visit mom in the afternoon." said Jeff. He went to Lucy's door, knocked, and invited the delighted girl to go shopping with him and Mercedes. And finally, he took out his phone out and dialed his BFF. Kurt almost forgot he was pissed at his dad.

**~.oOo.~**

The Who's **Baba O'Reily** jarred Ted awake at 5:58am, according to his phone. He had assigned this ringtone to Dr. Owen Green because he'd seen Owen rock out to the opening electronica and guitar solo, just like the fictional Dr. House. And Owen Green shared that character's attitude toward incompetents and autocrats. The good doctor Green just wanted to spend his time helping sick people rather than filling out paperwork. But hospitals were full of paperwork and autocratic administrators these days.

"Hello, Ted? Can you come down to this stupid hospital and deal with this pismire of an administrator? I had my office contact your sister's neurologist to arrange for privileges here. This idiot administrator apparently hasn't gotten the memo. And how did you talk to 'Doctor Zachary Smith', anyway? Without laughing or mentioning the robot and Will Robinson?

"I want to put in a stent as soon as possible and time is important here to minimize any brain damage. We want her to recover rather than spend the rest of her life in a nursing facility. They should know this." said a very annoyed Owen.

"Is Larry with you?" asked Ted.

"Yes, he's trying to get 'Doctor Smith' on the phone at home. The next step is the chief-of-staff of this so-called hospital." said Owen. He always went to the top as fast as possible, regardless of whom he pissed off. But he was one of the best neurosurgeons in the country with a remarkable success rate with stroke patients. Larry must have brought Owen with him to do the work when Ted had contacted him last night. God only knows how they got here so quickly.

"On my way. And, Owen, thank you for coming." said Ted gratefully.

"Of course. You guys are like family to us." Owen said.

Owen and Larry were Ted's long-time friends and neighbors. They were lucky to have gotten married during the brief period before the courts put same-sex marriage in California on hold. They'd been together over 10 years and Larry finally wanted to make Owen an honest man. Or vise versa, depending on whom you asked. Or maybe they both just liked jewelry.

"OK. I'll see you in a few." said Ted and hung up.

He swung his feet out of bed and onto the floor. Still groggy with only a few hours of sleep in the last couple days, he stumbled into the bathroom and jumped into the shower. He was out and dressed in 10 minutes, feeling almost human again, if only slight warmed over.

Ted went quietly into Jeff's room and found Jeff and Kurt entwined in a teenaged-boy version of a puppy pile. Ted chuckled, pulled out his phone and snapped a picture. _Blackmail is a good thing._ he thought. Then he gently nudged Jeff awake.

"Good morning, sir. Can I get you to drive me to the hospital? There's breakfast in it for you." Ted said softly.

Jeff nodded and got up slowly, causing Kurt to stir. He smoothed Kurt's hair and kissed the sleeping boy's forehead and cheek. Kurt muttered something and rolled over onto his stomach. Jeff sighed and kissed the sleeping boy again, causing Ted to grin at the sheer adorablenss of it all.

Jeff grabbed some clothes and went into the bathroom to change. He was out in less than a minute. After scrawling a note for Kurt, they walked out into the hall.

Jeff grinned. "What? It's Kurt that can't do speed dressing."

"Someone needs to tell him how good he looks with messy hair and bangs. And how much less work it is to maintain. Just sayin'." said Ted as they headed out the front door to Jeff's Prius.

"I told him. But I think he was half asleep. It was the first time he let me touch his hair." said Jeff smiling at the memory.

As they made their way through the early morning traffic to the hospital, Ted asked almost casually "So, tell me about you and Kurt."

**~.oOo.~**

Kurt awoke to find Jeff was gone. There was a note under his phone.

_Hey gorgeous, at hospital with Uncle Ted. Will text you with any updates. Please give Mercedes my regrets about shopping today. Have fun with Lucy and try to resist the Dark Side._

_XIO,_

_Jeff_

_PS-You still are to adorable for words, especially when you're asleep. :P ~J_

Out of curiosity, Kurt googled "xio" to find the first hit was "kisses, boners, and hugs". He smiled and went into the bathroom to get ready for the day.

**~.oOo.~**

Ted and Jeff arrived at the hospital shortly after 7am to find Dr. Larry Wolfe and Dr. Owen Green talking with a rumpled Dr. Zackary Smith in his crowded third floor office. A woman was leaving the office with an angry look on her face. "Be careful or someone will drop a house on you too." yelled Owen as the woman retreated.

Ted joined them. "Oh, wonderful. You're here." Zack spoke excitedly. "I have some informed consent forms for you to sign. Then we can get Rose into surgery right away. There's an OR open at 8am. I'm really excited about seeing this procedure and learning this new stroke protocol. Of course, I've read Dr. Green's article in the Journal of Neuroscience last year. What we'll be doing for Rose is very promising." Zack said almost bubbling with enthusiasm.

Ted's eyebrows went up. "That's good." said Ted guardedly. "And quite a change from what you told me yesterday."

Larry cut in. "This so-called hospital has been stuck in the 1990's. Our protocol has been in use in various research hospitals around the country for a while now. And it was just approved by the AMA as the new standard of care. Apparently, the staff haven't been able to get to any of our seminars because of budget, so we're going to use Rose as a teaching case, if that's OK with you."

"Walk me through it." said Ted. Jeff appeared with tea, scones, and a banana from the Lima Bean. Ted smiled and mouthed "Thank you." as they moved to the conference room they had used yesterday.

Using an iPad with a stylus and a whiteboard App, Larry outlined the treatment protocol that they'd be doing. Ted asked a _lot_ of questions. It was really scary for both him and Jeff. And he held Jeff's hand during the meeting to reassure the boy as much as himself. After looking at a slightly pale Jeff and getting a faint nod, Ted signed the papers and Rose was wheeled into surgery.

Larry told them to go grab some breakfast in the cafeteria, but neither was hungry. They ended up camped out across the street at the Lima Bean both nursing an Earl Grey. The scones Jeff bought earlier were slowly being picked on while they worked on their laptops using the coffee shop's free WiFi.

Jeff texted Kurt about Rose's surgery only to have his phone ring with **Defying Gravity** moments later.

"Hey babe…No, we're just waiting in the Lima Bean…take Lucy out, it will do her some good…get her mind off of all this…OK, I'll let you know…Love you…Bye" said Jeff and he sighed again. Ted's eyebrows went up.

"What?" asked Jeff.

"He's got his own ringtone on your phone. You sigh after you talk to him. And you're not fighting with Lucy. You, sir, are twitterpated." Jeff smiled at the Disney reference.

Ted smiled also. "It's quite lovely, actually. And the fact that the two of you found each other in the backwoods of Ohio…"

Jeff rolled his eyes and Ted said "Yes, I know, I sound like some West Coast Pelosi lovin' liberal, grass-fed vegan weenie."

"I don't think Ohio has any backwoods." snorted Jeff.

"I'm operating on the assumption that you both of you want to spend some time together this summer, like maybe in the magic faerie land of San Francisco. Am I right?" Jeff grinned broadly and nodded.

"Good. I'm going to see what I can do to make that happen. Love is to rare to not foster it wherever you find it." Ted said misty eyed.

**~.oOo.~ **

Kurt, Mercedes, and Lucy were taking a break in the food court of the Polaris Pointe shopping center. Kurt should have known that Westerville had the same kinds of stores as those in Lima mall. It's global capitalism at work, afterall.

The food, however, was much better. Crisp mixed salad greens rather than limp iceberg lettuce. Real grilled chicken breast rather than nuked chicken obviously from the freezer.

Not a total loss given that he's here to visit just as much as to shop. Maybe he'd find something new and interesting in the downtown boutiques after lunch.

They chatted about school, teachers, the differences between a private all-girls school and McKinley, and music. Lucy wasn't a musician or a singer but she had definite opinions on who was good and who wasn't. She bookmarked some bands and singers Mercedes mentioned on her phone to check out later. Lucy appreciated the attention of an older girl. Mercedes, truth be told, kinda liked having a groupie.

Mercedes excused herself to "go freshen up". Lucy said to Kurt quietly "Listen, I know what you're doing here."

"What?" said Kurt innocently. "Besides attempting to find interesting bargains with you and Mercedes?"

"You're trying to distract me from what's going on with mom." said Lucy.

"Well, only in part. If you want to sit in a hospital waiting room or the Lima Bean playing Angry Birds all afternoon, I can drop you off." said Kurt. Lucy shook her head.

"Jeff is texting updates to both of us. Relax. The angst will still be there after the shopping endorphins wear off. Think about hot, brainy, straight boy jocks." Kurt said as he fanned himself and Lucy giggled.

"Walking off the soccer field, with their hair all sweaty. They slowly strip off their shirts and their pecs glisten…" said Kurt softly watching Lucy turn red.

"OK. You can stop now." said Lucy.

"What did I miss?" said Mercedes as she slid back into the booth. She'd notice Lucy looked sort of discombobulated.

"Oh, nothing. I was just trying to…distract Lucy." said Kurt with a little smile. Lucy stuck out her tongue at Kurt, which only made Mercedes laugh.

"I'll bet." said Mercedes as they picked up their jackets and made their way back to Kurt's Navigator.

They were heading downtown, singing along to a song from **Rent** when the playback stopped and Jeff's falsetto voice began speaking instead. His picture flashed on the phone mounted on the car's dashboard.

_Help me Obi-wan Kenobi, you're my only hope.  
Help me Obi-wan Kenobi, you're my only hope.  
Help me Obi-wan Kenobi, you're my only hope._

Lucy and Mercedes burst out laughing as Kurt accepted the call on speakerphone.

"Hello Jeff? Is everything OK?" asked Kurt concerned.

"Mom is out of surgery and sleeping in her room. They're keeping her under as part of the treatment. Her head isn't even wrapped in bandages but she appears to have come through OK. I'll have more news at dinner." said Jeff over the speakers in the car.

"That's good to hear. How are _you_ doing?"

"I'm OK. We're having guests for dinner. Uncle Ted and I are on the way to buy something. He's thinking broiled fish. I don't know if you'll eat fish. Can you help me out here?" said Jeff.

"Fresh-caught trout is fabulous, but you're not going to find it this time of year. I prefer wild over farmed salmon. And I tried your tilapia recipe on Dad and Finn. We all liked it because it didn't taste like fish. Does that help?" said Kurt.

"Yep. It even tells me I'm going to CostCo _again_. Oh, and black tie is optional tonight." teased Jeff.

"Ha. Ha. Will I at least have time to clean up?" asked Kurt.

"No problem. We'll be here around 3. Guests arrive at 5. Like my new ringtone? That's why I called rather than just texting all this." asked Jeff.

"Remind me to change my phone's passcode. Oh, can Mercedes join us? Ah…she's shaking her head no…nevermind. Well, I'll see you soon. Love you baby." said Kurt as he hung up and paused the music playback.

"Are you sure you don't want to join us, 'Cedes?" said Kurt.

"Sorry. I got a 2 hour drive back to Lima and I'm babysitting a neighbor's kids tonight." said Mercedes.

"We'll have you on the road by 4, OK?" said Kurt.

"Great, baby. Thanks. Maybe next time." said Mercedes.

Downtown, Kurt found some yoga gear that was marked 75% off in a studio that was closing its doors. The tunics and pants were big for women but would fit both Jeff and Kurt, so he bought a couple sets. The green and the blue tunics would go well with either their complexions. Maybe it would spur Kurt to get up early and do yoga with Jeff. _Having the outfit is half the battle_, thought Kurt.

They arrived back at the house with just enough time for Mercedes to make her farewells and hurry back to Lima.

**~.oOo.~**

Kurt and Lucy went through the front door to find Uncle Ted napping on the couch. The sound of the dryer came from the laundry room. Jeff appeared with an armful of folded t-shirts, socks, and boxer briefs, which Lucy knew Jeff didn't wear. _He's doing Kurt's laundry now? _she thought.

"Did you know there are no washing instructions in your fancy pants from Alexander McQueen?" asked Jeff only half-seriously. Kurt frowned and bounded up the stairs into Jeff's bedroom. Jeff followed more slowly carrying his armful of folded wash.

Lucy heard angry words being exchanged upstairs. _That can't be good._ she thought_._

Jeff came bounding down the stairs with tears trailing down his face and his backpack slung over one shoulder. He went out the front door, slamming it shut. Moments later, there was a faint crunch of sand and gravel on the driveway, but that was all the sound the Prius made as it pulled out.

Ted sat up on the couch wiping sleep from his eyes. Kurt walked slowly down the stairs, very pale with his mouth open and tears running down his cheeks.

He pulled out his phone and pressed autodial. The call went to straight to voicemail. "Jeff?" cried Kurt, fighting back tears so he could speak. "Jeff. Baby. Please. Come back. I'm so sorry Jeff…I didn't mean to say those…terrible things. It's just…I'm not used to people doing things for me…and the last thing I wanna do is hurt you…Please baby…call me." Kurt drew in a deep breath and shakily put his phone back into his pocket. He sat down on the stairs putting his head in his hands.

"Is this your first fight?" Kurt nodded. "So what happened?" asked Ted.

"I…I don't know, really. I just…I'm used to doing the laundry at my house. My brother did it the last time I was home and he ruined a $300 pair of pants. I don't think Jeff even meant it about my pants. I just…saw my brother…holding up these pants that would now fit an 10-year-old…and I lost it. I said some really awful things. I can't even believe it was me saying them. I didn't mean it. And I wish I could just take it all back." said Kurt very quietly.

"That's a strange thing about fights." said Ted sighing. "A word or phrase triggers something in one or both people. And the thing that happens seems to take on a life of it's own. It's almost as if the fight is having _you_ rather than you having it. Do you know where he went?"

Kurt shook his head. Jeff's phone didn't have the GPS tracker app enabled. "Would you know?" Kurt asked Lucy.

"When we fight and he stomps out, he's usually at Nick's. Or back at school. Nick is only 10 minutes away. He used to hang out here all the time. But that was before he started dating you." said Lucy.

Kurt hadn't talked much to Nick beyond lunchtime chit-chat and in Warbler practices. Nick was an amazing baritone and wanted to study opera. But beyond that, Kurt didn't know much about him. And he didn't know he had supplanted Nick in Jeff's life. _It's just like what I did to Mercedes with Blaine._

"Do you have his number?" asked Kurt.

Lucy got her phone from her room and gave it to Kurt. "Call him on my phone. He might not pick up an unknown caller. If Jeff's there, Nick might think we're fighting."

Kurt found Nick's entry in the contact list and pressed CALL. It only took two rings before it was picked up.

"Jesus, Lucy. What did you say to him now?" said Nick. "He won't even talk to me. He just came in, sat down, and started playing **Doom** in single player mode. He only does that when you've really pissed him off." Kurt could hear the sound of the game in the background.

"It's Kurt. Can you put him on?" he said.

"Kurt?" said Nick. The sound of the game stopped. "Just a second."

For what seemed like for-frigging-ever, Kurt waited. The sound of the game resumed. "He doesn't want to talk to you right now." said Nick.

"Is he OK?" asked Kurt.

"He's fine. He and Lucy do this all the time. Just give him a couple hours." said Nick. "A video of you falling on your sword would be a good idea. Look, I gotta go."

"Tell him I love him." said Kurt.

"Right." and Nick hung up. Kurt gave the phone back to Lucy.

"So now what?" asked Ted.

"He'll stay at Nick's until he's ready to come home. If it's around dinnertime, he'll eat there. Nick was Jeff's original kitchen slave before you showed up." said Lucy. Kurt smiled weakly.

Ted looked at his watch. "We'll have to figure this out later. Our dinner guests will be here in a little while. Kurt, you're welcome to join us for dinner. Or I can make excuses for both you and Jeff. Owen and Larry will understand. But I encourage you to join us. They've been together 10 years and I was in a 5-year relationship. We might be able to offer some advice." said Ted.

Kurt nodded. "I probably won't be very good company or very hungry but I would like to meet them."

"Good. I'm going to shower. Lucy, can you answer the door if they show up early?"

She smiled. "Sure. I love talking with Uncle Larry and Uncle Owen. They always have such interesting gossip about the most fascinating things."

**~.oOo.~**

Nick opened the door to see Jeff standing there with his backpack, his eyes red and face tear-stained. He didn't say anything, just stood aside and let Jeff in. _It's what best friends do, isn't it?_ _Even though they've been replaced._ he thought bitterly.

Jeff went right to the game console in Nick's room and started playing **Doom**. By himself. Nick watched as Jeff played automatically with almost robotic precision. He hadn't seen things this bad since that really bad fight with Lucy-the one where the screaming had almost escalated into blows. And when Jeff's dad had died.

"Is your mom OK?" asked Nick with a touch of worry in his voice. Jeff had been texting him updates on his mom's condition since the stroke. Jeff nodded and kept playing. Nick let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. _So that leaves Lucy._ he thought. _ I'll hear about it when he's ready._ Nick went back to his desk and resumed work on his lab write-up for AP Physics.

Nick's phone rang. _Lucy. The other shoe drops._

But it wasn't her. At the mention of Kurt's name, Jeff paused his game. His mouth was a thin line. Nick handed him the phone, but the boy just shook his head and looked down at the game console. Jeff resumed his game.

Nick told Kurt to give it some time and call back. His eyebrow went up at Kurt's message. When Nick told Jeff "Kurt says he loves you", Jeff flinched, missing a target. He ended up being fragged and losing that game. He just restarted without looking up and kept playing.

_This is __so__ not good._ thought Nick.

**~.oOo.~**

Dinner wasn't the disaster that Ted thought it would be. He had wanted to try the recipe for a warm Salad Niçoise he'd read in a celebrity's cookbook. It really wasn't fair that the author was so talented in so many things-actress, singer, and now, chef. It came out very well and was perfect with the white wine he served to Owen and Larry. But Kurt didn't eat much, just picking at his food.

Owen and Larry listened to Kurt's description of the fight. They didn't offer any advice, just a story of their own first fight.

"Well, it wasn't really a fight, just a moving-in 'adjustment'." said Larry. "I didn't realize when Owen was moving in that he'd be, you know, moving in _everywhere_. Have you ever noticed how threatening it is to have someone rearrange your spice rack?"

While they laughed about it now, Kurt could see how having someone else moving into your domain would put you on edge. And having someone rearrange your kitchen, well, that was just _wrong_ on so many levels.

"How did you patch things up?" asked Kurt.

"Well, the first fight didn't really get to the storming-out phase. That was later fights." said Larry. "We just talked it out. Once I realized it was 'our' kitchen not 'mine', things just sort of fell into place."

"For the storm-out fight, try flowers." said Owen. "_And_ they're not just for fights, birthdays, and anniversaries." This prompted Larry to kiss Owen on the cheek.

Kurt marveled at how these two men had managed to build a life working and living together as a couple. And they were just accepted in their jobs just like any married straight couple. Kurt asked them questions about how they met and their lives as doctors in San Francisco. And about being married. Their rings were simple but lovely. It almost seemed like a fairy tale. Kurt realized he wanted that someday.

"We had a thermonuclear exchange before he went off to Dalton. I sent Jeff a video of me falling on a sword." offered Lucy. "Mom made me, really. At the time, I was sorta happy he was gone. I didn't realize how much I would miss him until after he'd left. He came back a couple weeks later and we patched things up."

When the dishes were ready to be cleared, Kurt volunteered so he could think. Ted took Owen and Larry into the living room to relax with a cup of coffee before heading back to their hotel.

Kurt liked Lucy's video idea and even knew what he wanted to say. When he finished rinsing and loading the dishwasher, he went to Lucy's room.

"Do you guys have a flipcam or something that can make a video? The audio on my phone sucks for what I want to do." asked Kurt as Lucy looked up from her book.

"Yes. I'll even be your cameraman if you want." Lucy offered. Kurt nodded and went to Jeff's room to do a search on his laptop. He found a karaoke version of the song he wanted and set it up to play. Lucy came in with the camera followed by Ted, Owen, and Larry. Kurt smiled at the thought of this being in front of an audience of sorts. He wanted people to know how he felt about Jeff. Kurt set the light so it was most flattering for his face and nodded at Lucy to start recording.

"Jeff, I've been trying to find a way…to tell you how sorry I am…for all those terrible things I said to you today. Someone recommended flowers, but I'm not sure you're a flowers kinda guy. So I'm trying the falling on the sword video. I can't tell you how much you've come to mean to me in my life…in what I hope will become our lives together…I just know this song comes close."

Kurt cued the music on the computer and started to sing.

_I still hear your voice when you sleep next to me  
I still feel your touch in my dreams  
Forgive me my weakness, but I don't know why  
Without you, all I do is cry_

Kurt tried not to let the song affect him, but certain parts rang so true for him. He almost lost it on the "Your arms are my castle" line but managed to make it through the song.

"Jeff, please come back. Let's talk about it. If you still think we should break up, I'll…I'll be OK. Just give me a chance." said Kurt, again almost breaking down.

Kurt nodded and Lucy stopped recording. There were tears in everyone's eyes.

"You have a remarkable voice, Kurt." said Larry softly.

"Yeah. And if Jeff doesn't take you back, I'll make him regret it for a very long time, the dumbass." said Lucy.

**~.oOo.~**

Kurt uploaded the video to his Google Videos account, sent Jeff a text and an email link to it with a carbon copy to Nick. Somehow, he figured Jeff would see it eventually. _And if I posted it to his Facebook, there would be all these questions. _thought Kurt.

Owen and Larry made their goodbyes to Lucy and Ted, hugging Kurt as if he was family.

As they were leaving, Jeff pulled into the driveway. He gave the two men a hug and promised to talk to them tomorrow, then went up to Kurt, who was standing in the doorway.

"Just so you know, I am _so_ a flowers kinda guy." said Jeff softly as he gave Kurt hug. "Let's talk."

Jeff put his arm around Kurt's shoulder and Kurt put his around Jeff's waist. They walked into the house and closed the door.

**~.oOo.~**

A/N: I debated a long time on how graphic I wanted to make this fic. There are a lot of M-rated fics and they all sort of do the same thing. And I don't want this to turn into 'one-handed fiction'. A friend who started me writing has a book on writing good sex scenes and one of the points it makes is that such scenes are always about something else rather than directly about sex. I'm going to try for that and talk around the issue for now. And I've always felt it was sexier to see a man in red bikini briefs than lying around with his business hanging out. Sexiness happens in the mind.

Apologies if Ohio actually does have woods. I'm a West Coast Weenie. What do I know?

I don't do angst very well. It's just not me. So any emotionally heavy stuff usually ends up with me making a joke to break the tension. So the fight between Jeff and Kurt was very hard to write and I ended up writing around what they fought about.

I heard **Everytime We Touch** by Alex Goot (on iTunes and Youtube) and went through 2 Kleenexs. To me, that's exactly how Jeff and Kurt feel about each other. And I can so imagine them singing it to each other.


	13. Dance

**A/N: Sorry for the delay in updates. Yes, I'm still writing this fic. After the last chapter, I struggled on where I wanted to take this next bit. Whatever was driving me forward seems to have died down. Ideas still come, but I have to push. Is that writers block? Anyway, I pretty sure where this fic is going now.**

**I've got some ideas from other authors. If you see something that was in your story, it may very well be. Thanks in advance.**

**Secret Admirer / Ch. 13 - Dance**

Author: TerribleSpy

Rating: T+

Characters: Kurt, Jeff, Blaine (no KLAINE, sorry)

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee. I just want to play in that universe.

**~.oOo.~**

Jeff yawned over a cup of tea. It was 7am. He was reading an email on his laptop from Wes and David when Uncle Ted came into the kitchen. _A Broadway-themed party with New Directions? Friday. Interesting. _he thought.

"So, did you patch things up?" Uncle Ted asked.

"Yeah. But we're still trying to figure out what happened. I spent the night tossing and turning, going over and over it. Kurt was not pleased at having to sleep on the couch. We're going to talk about it later." said Jeff, yawning again.

"You'll figure it out. It's part of being in a relationship-the give and take. You've seen Owen and Larry."

"Yes. But I can't figure out how they 'just work'. Nor, do I think could they." mused Jeff.

"Once the initial glow of new couplehood wore off with Jason and me, it took work. And I had to learn to be a 'we' rather than an 'I'. I suppose getting married makes that official these days but it wasn't an option for us." Ted poured himself a mug of tea and started making toast.

"Work? How?" asked Jeff intrigued.

"Well, I had to get rid of my preconceived notions of what being a boyfriend, a lover, and a partner were. We had to keep communications open and 1000% honest. Jason could always tell when I was annoyed with him. I'd get bitchy." said Ted somewhat embarrassed.

"But the thing that drove me nuts in the beginning was that we both would fight by using the silent treatment. I don't think you'll have that problem with Kurt." Jeff smiled sourly. "We ended up implementing the 'Thee Day Rule'. It gave us both the option of playing that game for three days, then we had to say what was bothering us. No more 'Everything is fine'. It worked. Pretty soon, he could read my moods and I could read his. Sort of like reading the subtitles in a foreign film." said Ted.

"It also helped me to not make Jason my 'everything'. We had friends disappear into the blackhole of coupledom and never be heard from again. I was more social and he understood that he couldn't fulfill my every intellectual need. He had friends, too." Ted buttered his toast and slathering it with raspberry jam.

"On that note, are you still friends with Nick?" Ted asked.

Jeff nodded, somewhat chagrined. _I have to fix that._ he thought.

"When I moved in with Jason and he was working, our life together became a series of projects we did together, mostly around the house. Or places we would go. Or working together with the local children's theater group. But it was never about 'the relationship'.

"We were very lucky that we travelled well together. It's very stressful to miss a plane and have to sit waiting on standby. Walkmans just ate batteries and you could only bring so many tapes." Ted finished his toast and tea. Jeff rolled his eyes at the nostalgiafest.

"Later on, it turned into helping him manage the progress of his illness. Then, it became helping him let go and move on." said Ted quietly. He washed his plate and rinsed out his mug, putting them into the dishwasher. He sat at the counter, neither of them said anything for a minute, letting the silence speak for itself.

Ted sighed. "So, what's on the menu for you guys today?"

"I need some studio time. Seriously. To clear my head. And I'm going to visit mom. I'll text Kurt and Lucy about what they want to do, but I'm thinking of having a movie night. With Nick, if that's OK."

"Of course. How is he?" asked Ted.

"Things have calmed down since his parent's divorce. He's home from Dalton and I kinda feel guilty about not seeing him as much as I used to." admitted Jeff.

"Well, then you have to have him over. Cook with him like you used to. Kurt and Lucy will kibitz. And Lucy will flirt. It should be hilarious." smirked Uncle Ted as Jeff grinned.

"Oh, before I forget, I put you on my car insurance." said Jeff as he put the keys to his Prius on the counter and went over to the pegboard and pocketed the keys to the family's new Prius V Wagon.

"Great. After checking on your mom, I want to visit the attorney that setup the family trust and go over finances. I may be late for dinner. I'll text. Can you manage?" said Ted.

"Sure, no problem." said Jeff as he wrote out a note to Kurt and grabbed a yoghurt cup and plastic spoon. He picked up his dance gear bag and leaned down to give his Uncle a hug. "Drive safe" said Uncle Ted as he kissed Jeff lightly on the temple.

**~.oOo.~ **

Jeff waved his Dalton ID over the reader to the side entrance of Crawford's performing arts building. It was part of the gym complex built by some rich alumni. The main 'stage' had a huge dance floor and an audience area with cushioned seats on risers. There were two smaller practice rooms off a hallway and changing rooms with lockers and showers. The smaller rooms as well as the main space had two mirrored walls for practice but the main stage's mirrors could be covered for performances.

Crawford offered jazz, hip-hop, ballroom and, of course, ballet. Jeff went into the 'boys' changing room. That distinction was purely arbitrary since there were no urinals. He spun the combination on his locker, opened it and stuffed his shoes inside. Peeling off his street clothes, he wiggled into a dancer's belt, black men's tights, a white dance top, and ballet slippers. He rolled up his street clothes as he'd been taught in gym class in middle school and stuffed them into his locker.

The dim, early-morning light filtered through the skylights and chorister windows in the main stage. Jeff turned on the practice lights and set his dance bag and water bottle on the table by the upright piano near the front row of seats.

He plugged his phone into a music player and did a few yoga stretches-sun-salute, triangle pose and a seated twist-to loosen up his spine and lower back. Then he selected his play list for ballet warm ups, hit PLAY, and walked over to the retractable dance barre in front of the mirrors.

He stood at the barre with his toes pointed outward at 180° and heels together, letting the light piano music washed over him as he breathed deeply. To connect his awareness down into he feet, he imagined his knees and then his feet 'breathing' along with the rest of him.

He did several rounds of plié, the half knee bends, with assorted footwork, going through the various ballet foot positions. The straight spine and shoulders-down stance made his upper back crack despite the yoga stretches. He moved to the barre on the opposite wall to switch sides and repeated the warm ups with the other leg.

Grande Battement, a more advanced exercise, involved kicks to the front, back and sides with pointed toe on and off on the balls of his feet. His free arm was bent in front of him or gracefully overhead.

With each breath and movement, he disappeared deeper into his body and the precise movements of his practice. He still kept watch on his form in the mirrors since the instructor wasn't here to correct him. Jeff had read about 'Zen moments' somewhere, where your mind and body seemed to connect and become one. Things became effortless. At the time, he realized he had those moments a lot, mostly when he was dancing. It's probably why he kept going back to ballet despite the grief he got from being a boy ballet dancer. But no one in his jazz and hip-hop classes could match his ability to spin and jump.

The floors in all the dance rooms were specially built to absorb shock and bounce. Whenever he did the leaps and jumps-grand jete and coupe jete-he felt like he could fly. When Jeff practiced or fooled around in Dalton's gym, his knees always bothered him afterwards. But he could dance in this huge room forever. He was glad that the Dalton trustees had decided 'to share the expense' of their dance programs with Crawford. Crawford girls got boys to dance with them and Dalton boys taking ballet got this amazing space and a full-time dance instructor.

He was working on a sequence he hoped to put together for his Spring Recital, but he didn't have all the parts tied together yet. He'd gotten as far as a series of leaps and could almost do the 15 Pirouttes, a full set of 15 spins on one foot. Jeff set the music to a fragment of the **Infernal Dance** from Tomita's **Firebird** on repeat and ran through the sequence twice. He managed to do 8 turns before stumbling to break out of the spin. The second time, he did 9 turns and ended gracefully with a flourish.

In mid-leap of his third run through, his phone rang. **Defying Gravity**. Jeff landed, walked across the room to the table, and grabbed his phone from the player.

"Hey…Good morning to you too…Is everything all right?…Oh…I'll come out and get you. Are you at the main entrance?…OK."

Jeff wiped his face with a towel and pulled on a pair of warm ups and a hoodie from his dance bag. He didn't want to catch a chill. Kurt was standing outside the glass doors of the main entrance holding his non-fat mocha from the Lima Bean and carrying a picnic basket. Jeff smiled and opened the door for him.

"Why Ranger Smith," said Jeff in a very weird voice, "You shouldn't have."

"That has got to be the worst Yogi Bear I have ever heard. And don't you dare call me Boo Boo." said Kurt. Jeff giggled.

"Seriously, thanks for bringing brunch over." said Jeff as he gave Kurt a kiss. Kurt breathed Jeff's scent, which Kurt could only describe as 'woodlike' or papery, mixed with the faint trace of peppermint from the Dr. Bonner's soap. Kurt was surprised Jeff didn't smell gross when he was all sweaty like he did.

They walked back to the main studio by the 'brag wall' in the lobby showing past performances. Kurt stopped.

"Wait. Jeff, is this you?" asked Kurt pointing to a still of Jeff dressed in black leather pants with a red shirt and toreador vest next to a girl dressed in a voluminous red dress.

"I was in the Spanish dance, part of the abridged **Nutcracker** we did for the Christmas recital." said Jeff proudly.

"The toreador's hat can go. But I want to see you in those pants." said Kurt. Jeff grinned. Kurt continued to scan the wall until he paused on another picture of Jeff. He drew in his breath sharply.

Jeff was blushing as he said "That was last year's Spring Recital. I did a non-traditional version of **Prélude à L'après-midi D'un Faune** with a senior from Crawford's advanced ballet class. I think she went on to Julliard."

"Judging by your costume, what little there is of it, it must have been a more contemporary than classical ballet." said Kurt with a smirk. In the picture, Jeff was wearing a flesh-colored dancer's belt with a tail sown onto the back, a vest, and ballet slippers. And that's it. There were large dark brown spots painted on his bare legs and his to-blonde-to-be-real hair was slicked back. His eyebrows and cheekbones were accentuated and he had a little dark blonde goatee. And a small pair of horns.

_Oh. My. F-ing. God._ thought Kurt.

"Mom got really tired of hearing Lucy saying I was horny. Over and over and over and over. She started docking Lucy allowance for every time she said it." said Jeff.

"Uhm…are there any videos of your performances?" Kurt asked almost to casually.

"I think so. The schools keep them to show the breadth of their extra-curricular activities. Especially if there are awards involved." said Jeff.

_I __want__ that video_. thought Kurt.

They went into the main studio and sat in the front row of the audience section. Kurt opened the picnic basket, but Jeff stopped him.

"I didn't quit finish my practice. I want to do one more run through. Is that OK?" Jeff asked.

"Sure. I've never actually seen you dance outside of the Warblers." said Kurt.

Jeff nodded and moved to the table by the piano. He plugged his phone back into the player, pulled off the hoodie, and stepped out of the warm ups. He did some stretching and took a deep breath, then pressed PLAY. He didn't seem to notice Kurt was staring at him open-mouthed.

Jeff started in the corner of the room, ran and executed two perfect grand jete leaps. He seemed to hang in the air like Wyle E. Coyote with a huge smile on his face. Landing with a little flourish, he moved across the floor and executed another running leap. He landed with a flourish, moved to center stage and started to spin on one foot as if he were on ice skates. The other foot would scissor at the knee and straighten. His hands were bent gracefully overhead or out in front forming a circle. Jeff was just about to loose his focus, almost getting to the end of a 12th turn when he planted his back foot, raised his arms overhead, and arched his back for a final ending flourish. _Not bad. Better than the 9 I did earlier_, he thought.

He stopped the music and wiped his face and neck. He walked back to Kurt, who was still staring at him with his mouth open in a little 'o'. "Uhm…Hello? Is anyone home?" asked Jeff.

Kurt took a deep breath as his brain started working again. "What, in the name of Gaga, are you wearing?"

"Just my usual practice outfit. Sometimes I wear dance shorts and a stretch top when it's hot. Why?" asked Jeff.

"Because it looks like it's sprayed on. And whatever you're wearing under that truly lifts and separates. And more amazingly, there's no panty line." said Kurt.

"So you're saying this is a good look for me?" asked Jeff grinning.

"Uhm…that would be a _hell_ yes. I may seriously thinking of giving up wearing skinny jeans." said Kurt.

"Please don't. I live for watching you walk in skinny jeans." said Jeff as Kurt smiled shyly.

Kurt took both of Jeff's hands in his as Jeff sat down. "Jeff, has anyone ever told you that you're absolutely…beautiful…when you dance?" Kurt said, his voice faltering and almost in a whisper, his face full of wonder as he looked into Jeff's eyes.

Jeff blushed and looked down. "Uhm…No." he said quietly looking away. He almost sounded like a little boy. "Well, mom did…uhm…does."

"It's like I've only seen flashes of the real Jeff up until now. You are amazing. I think I know how you felt when you saw me audition. You know, at the window. You said 'Whoa' I think." said Kurt also blushing.

"It was WOW." Jeff said quietly, "Definitely wow." He leaned in and kissed Kurt, eventually taking a deep breath and pulling away.

He touched his forehead to Kurt's. _Now is as good a time as any._ he thought.

"I ran away because you were yelling at me. I'm not allowed to yell back at Lucy when we fight, so I just leave. I promise I won't run away next time you wanna yell at me." said Jeff. "But you better have ear plugs 'cause I'm gonna yell back."

"Deal." said Kurt with a small smile. He tucked his head into Jeff's shoulder like an embarrassed toddler. Jeff ran his fingers gently through the hair on back of Kurt's head. He loved the smell of Kurt's shampoo.

"I realized I was yelling at Finn for ruining a pair of vintage Alexander McQueen pants. It wasn't anything you did. I don't know why I saw that instead of you standing there holding my folded laundry. I am so sorry. I promise that the next time I yell at you, it will be for something you deserve." said Kurt. "Oh, and thank you for doing my laundry."

Jeff chuckled and kissed Kurt on the forehead, then on each of his eyelids, and finally he lingered on the boy's lips. "Just so long as there's make-up sex afterwards." grinned Jeff. They both sighed as the tension of the fight ebbed away.

Kurt pulled out two plastic containers of cottage cheese and a larger container with fresh fruit salad from the picnic basket. He handed Jeff a fork and spoon wrapped in a napkin and poured hot tea into the plastic top from a Thermos.

"Thank you, babe." said Jeff. "I take it Lucy won't be joining us to visit mom at the hospital."

"Sure she will. We'll pick her up on the way when we're done." They finished the rest of their quick meal in silence. Kurt started to giggle when Jeff started feeding him fruit salad and making funny noises.

"Open the pod bay doors, HAL." said Jeff as he popped a grape into Kurt's mouth. Kurt rolled his eyes. There were more giggles when Jeff made faces as Kurt tried to feed him a piece of mango.

"Before I clean up, I have a confession to make." said Jeff.

"Should I be afraid or embarrassed?" asked Kurt.

"It's all good." smiled Jeff. Kurt raised an eyebrow and tilted his head as if to say 'So?'

"Uhm…you see…after your little failed spying mission, Wes, David and Blaine did some research on you and the McKinley Glee club." said Jeff. "Actually, it was more Blaine cyberstalking you with Google and on Youtube. He found a bunch of videos of you which he made us all watch."

"Us?" asked Kurt flushing slightly.

"The Warblers. We had a New Directions Video night." continued Jeff as Kurt huffed. "Two videos stood out for me. You were on McKinley's cheerleading squad, right?"

"Yes. I helped them win Nationals." replied Kurt, relieved. His performances as a Cheerio were nothing to be embarrassed or ashamed of.

"Well, we all watched **4 Minutes** but I think Blaine may have a thing for cheerleaders. _I_ was impressed with your routine and that fabulous solo. It's not easy to sing and dance. And to choreograph something that allows a singer to dance and not be out of breath until the very end. You were _panting_." _I so want to make you pant. And beg. Definitely begging will be involved._ thought Jeff.

"Then there's this video." Jeff pulled out his phone, tapped a few icons, and a miniature version of Kurt dancing in a black Unitard and sequined vest appeared on the screen as **Single Ladies** came out over the tinny speaker. Kurt covered the screen and turned away. But they could both still hear Beyonce singing.

"Again, Blaine made a fool of himself over this video. The rest of the Warblers were only marginally interested because that's not you singing. Except for me." said Jeff as he stopped the video.

"You liked it?" asked Kurt.

"Well, it leads into one of my fantasies about you." said Jeff smirking. Kurt still didn't know where this was going.

Jeff took Kurt by the hand as he walked over to the music player and plugged in his phone. "Do you still remember the routine?" Jeff said almost shyly. Kurt gave Jeff his Bitch Please™ face. Jeff laughed and hit PLAY on his phone. He led Kurt out onto the dance floor as music track of **Single Ladies** started to play.

Kurt started the routine and Jeff joined him. Apparently, Jeff had been studying Kurt's video as he kept pace with Kurt flawlessly. The precise hand movements, butt slapping, and even the pelvic rolls from the original Beyonce video were all there. At one point, Jeff stepped in front of Kurt and mirrored his movements perfectly, then exaggerating the hip grinding and moving his hands over his body provocatively, making Kurt laugh.

**Single Ladies** ended and Glen Miller's **Moonlight Serenade** started.

"Dance with me?" said Jeff, offering his hand to Kurt. Kurt just assumed he'd play Ginger Rodgers to Jeff's Fred Astaire, so he moved in close, took Jeff's hand, and placed the other on Jeff's shoulder. Jeff's other hand went around Kurt's waist to the small of his back.

Jeff led Kurt around the floor. They seemed to float. With his hand, Jeff cued Kurt to spin out then dipped him expertly. Kurt came back into Jeff arms holding him closer, almost putting his head on Jeff's shoulder.

"You don't know how long I've wanted to do this with you." whispered Jeff, again breathing in Kurt's scent mingled with his shampoo. _I want to do this with you forever._ thought Jeff. He sighed.

Glen Miller's music ended, leaving the boys holding each other in the middle of the dance floor. Kurt reached up and kissed Jeff. Jeff broke the kiss and enveloped Kurt in a hug that turned into a 'walking spin' with them both entwined together. Finally Kurt broke away, dizzy and laughing. Jeff was fine. _ 11 years of ballet counts for something._ he thought.

"I've got an idea for Wes and David's party on Friday" said Jeff as he walked back to the music player.

"You know I'm up for almost anything from Broadway, except maybe **Sweeney Todd**." said Kurt.

Jeff went over to the music player, made a selection, and pressed PLAY. He put his arms around Kurt as the music started and out onto the floor they went.

**~.oOo.~**

Jeff's meal of 'Jewish Steak Frites' came together with very little effort. He just organized everyone to do specific jobs.

Nick manned the gas grill on the deck and grilled the ribeye steaks, the closest to the French Entrecôte cut. Kurt made an Italian chopped salad with Uncle Ted's Dijon vinaigrette. Jeff's favorite family dessert, tapioca pudding, was cooling in the fridge thanks to Uncle Ted.

And Jeff made latkes. He insisted they are a lot less work compared to Pomme Frites from the original Steak Frites. Even so, Kurt wasn't all that convinced. He had Lucy prep sliced vegetables for grilling because 'he didn't do fried food'.

Uncle Ted felt it was his job to 'supervise' from the kitchen table while drinking his tea. Kurt made a mental note to Google the word 'kibitz' which Uncle Ted had originally used because he doubted it meant 'to supervise'.

Kurt also noticed Uncle Ted give Jeff a wink and Jeff smirk as Lucy went out onto the deck to 'help Nick' with grilling the vegetables. _Hmmm. What's going on there?_ Kurt thought.

The steaks turned out great, served with a dab of a special herb butter on top that melted into a sauce. The latkes, grilled veggies, and chopped salad were on the side.

Kurt snuck the last half latke off of Jeff's plate as he gave him a kiss and complimented him on the food. Jeff grinned, not all that oblivious to Kurt's pilferage and change of heart. He chuckled as Kurt popped it into his mouth and let out a soft moan. Jeff squeezed Kurt's knee under the table and returned to Nick's description of this week's episode of **So You Think You Can Dance**. He'd missed it because of all the stuff with his mom.

**~.oOo.~**

Nick and Kurt were doing the dishes at Nick's insistence. Kurt had to admit, that for a straight guy, Nick had a Bitch Please™ face that could rival his own. Nick flashed it when Jeff had suggested that, because he was a guest, he be exempt from clean-up duty. Uncle Ted, Jeff and Lucy needed to talk about their mom and some other 'family stuff', so this was the perfect opportunity for some boyfriend/best-friend bonding.

"I know you really care about him." said Nick as he rinsed the dishes and silverware, placing them in the ancient dishwasher.

"I was telling the truth when I said I love him." said Kurt, his arms folded across his chest. He didn't feel up to justifying his feelings to Nick right now.

"Take care of him. You can go to a place emotionally with him I can't. I wish I could, but I don't love him that way." said Nick sadly.

Kurt's attitude softened. "How long have you known him?" he asked.

"Since grade school. Jeffie and I were best friends from the start." said Nick. "I was the first person he came out to when he was 13. I think maybe he wanted me to be his boyfriend. I even kissed him just to be sure I wasn't attracted to him." confessed Nick. Kurt's eyebrow when up at this admission. _He's so not the usual straight boy._ he thought.

"It took longer for him to come out to his family. When he started being bullied at school later that year, I told him about **The Trevor Project** and convinced him to talk to someone. Otherwise, I think he would have just suffered in silence. And maybe hurt himself in the end." said Nick. Kurt shivered at the thought.

"We're taking care of each other. And I intend to make sure he doesn't ignore you. I sorta ignored my BFF Mercedes when I first met Blaine and transferred to Dalton." said Kurt.

"If you don't mind me asking, was it really bad? The school where you came from?" asked Nick. They started hand washing the platters and serving pieces that wouldn't fit in the old dishwasher.

"It started in grade school. I was the weird kid who liked 'girl stuff'. The boys didn't want to play with me and the girls didn't know what to make of me. My freshman year had dumpster tossing, locker slams, and slushie facials." Nick cocked his head for elaboration. "It's like getting bitch slapped by an iceberg. So yes. It was bad."

"I can see why you didn't reach out to connect with the guys right off. Both Jeff and Blaine were like that too, when they first started at Dalton. It's kind of a red flag for the _Why are you here?_ question. We just decided to give you some space to figure out you were safe. I'm glad you came around." said Nick.

They finished washing up and went into the living room. Uncle Ted, Jeff and Lucy had finished their talk. It was hard to tell the mood of the room. Lucy was uneasy. Jeff was excited. And Uncle Ted was unreadable.

"What's going on?" asked Kurt.

"They're going to wake up mom tomorrow." said Jeff.

**~.oOo.~**

A/N: To me, the Nav'i phrase "I see you" means "I see who you are, all that you are and might be, and I love you". Then I saw a video of Travis Wall's work for **So You Think You Can Dance** and I flashed on Jeff dancing and Kurt being blown away. Jeff already had his "I see you" moment with DCFMA. This is Kurt's.

This is a video of the sequence I image Jeff trying to piece together: watch?v=IIRbyc2OvrQ (add the protocol and remove the spaces) You can also look up videos of the various ballet moves. I didn't study very long and it was eons ago, so I had to look up a lot of stuff.

Latkes are Jewish potato pancakes. I was really surprised when my sister's kids asked mom to make them especially on their last visit. Guess I underestimate the power of ethnic foods.

I was going to do more stuff about movie night with Nick, but as soon as I typed that last sentence, I knew this chapter was done. As I progress with the arc of the story in my head, all the details end up being distilled down to a minimum (I guess I'm my own beta, so all the errors are my fault).


	14. Broadway

**A/N: I've got some ideas from other authors. If you see something that was in your story, it may very well be. Thanks in advance.**

**Yes, I know this fic has strayed so far away the canon of the show. The plot I have mapped out goes even further. While the show is the basis for the characters, what happened there back in Season 2 and now in Season 3 is so far removed from what I see for my two boys. So, yeah. It a complete AU. I call it the überGleek AU for lack of a better term.**

**Sorry this took so long. I think I spent to much time thinking about what they all were going to sing and didn't even use it. Now FanFic is clamping down on copyrighted material, so I've had to pare down the amount of each song I put in. That's actually good because it forces me to actually write rather than rely on the song as content.**

**Secret Admirer / Ch. 14 - Broadway**

Author: TerribleSpy

Rating: T+

Characters: Kurt, Jeff, Blaine (no KLAINE, sorry)

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee. I just want to play in that universe.

**~.oOo.~**

Kurt sat next to Jeff in a quiet corner of the hospital waiting area. He'd never seen him so fidgety before. _It can't just be these terrible chairs._ Kurt thought. _ He was so restless last night until I held him as we fell asleep._

Jeff was trying to beat Lucy at a multiplayer first-person shooter on their paired phones. But he was getting his butt kicked. His leg was bouncing up and down, almost vibrating. Kurt put his hand gently on Jeff's knee.

"Jeff…You know I'm here for you. Right?" said Kurt. Jeff smiled wanly and put down his phone, then enveloped Kurt in a hug.

"Uncle Ted. Nick. Even Lucy." said Kurt into Jeff shoulder. Jeff squeezed harder.

"Well, maybe Lucy is waiting for just the right moment to plunge in a 6-inch Chef's knife." said Kurt. Jeff let out a muffled giggle into Kurt's shoulder and moved back enough to look into his face. He smoothed a stray strand of hair off Kurt's forehead.

"You're learning." he said smiling. "I'm scared. Even though I know what's happening. And it's not like my Dad or yours. But I'm still scared."

"You never told me all of it. About your dad. Just parts." said Kurt tentatively. He figured that if Jeff told him the whole story, it might help.

"My dad had been having problems with his heart spazing out, beating irregularly. He was taking meds and went in for something called an ablation. It was meant to short-circuit and reset his heart's electrical system so he could get off the meds. He was 45 and wasn't ready to be an altakaka." Kurt's eyebrow went up. "Old fart." said Jeff as Kurt snorted.

"It was supposed to be in and out. The doctor had done hundreds and was top notch in the Midwest. I remember him walking through those doors with this really serious face. He told us 'it didn't go as we expected.' and 'the procedure had complications' and 'his heart stopped. We were unable to revive him and he died.'" Jeff was speaking in a monotone. Lucy appeared, wondering why their game had stopped. Jeff didn't seem to notice her.

"Mom was screaming. 'Oh God! No! Alan. No!' She grabbed my shirt and started crying on my shoulder. I just held her." Jeff closed his eyes, took a deep breath, opened them, then continued quietly. "Mom doesn't break down like that. Even more scary, Lucy here was crying and not making a sound."

"I remember coming home and finding our Rabbi waiting for us. Apparently the hospital had called her." Jeff drew in a breath. Kurt took his hand and squeezed it gently.

"She was great. She brought some casserole thing for dinner and took charge. Lucy and I covered the mirrors and put sheets on the furniture for sitting shiva. Mom didn't eat. She just kept staring at that paper bag. The one the hospital gave us. The one with his watch, his wallet, and his wedding ring.

"After dinner, Rabbi Marder put on her prayer shawl and got a large candle in a jar from her bag. We put the candle in a quiet corner, lit it, and the Rabbi started reciting the Mourner's Kaddish from the her prayer book. Mom snapped out of it and started reciting with her." Jeff's voice was ragged.

"I flashed on that scene from **Yentl** where she lights the candle out in the forest and sings for her father. I started to cry. And I sang that song for him. And I've been singing it for him every year." Finally Jeff was silent.

"I start to babble when I'm scared or nervous." he said drawing in a deep breath. But his leg had stopped jiggling.

Kurt kissed Jeff's hand and squeezed it gently. "I slept in Dad's hospital room the first two nights." he said quietly. "The nurses just let me stay. I couldn't go home to that empty house. I think I had a cup of coffee and a donut that whole time." Jeff made a face.

"Yes, I know. Carol came by the second night after work and dragged me back home. She forced me to take a long hot shower while she made me some soup and put me to bed." said Kurt. "That was the first full night's sleep I'd really had in days. He was there for almost a week. I don't remember school but apparently I was there. Finally, on a Friday, his hand moved. Just a little. But that was enough." Kurt took a deep breath, too, not realizing that week still bothered him.

Larry came into the waiting area and they all gathered around him. "We stopped the heavy sedation last night when her last spinal tap came back clear. With only a light dose to get her through to the night, she should be waking up any time now. I'll do some simple tests and then you can visit."

They followed Larry into her shared room but he had them stay back by the door. He pulled the privacy curtain around the area as he approached her bed.

Rose's eyes were open and she had been looking around the room. Her head hurt. Someone she vaguely recognized had come into her room and stood by her bed.

"Hello Rose? You may not remember me. I'm Doctor Larry Wolfe, a friend of Ted's? I'm also neurologist. You've had a mild stroke and have been in the hospital for the last few days. Don't worry. Jeff and Lucy are fine. They're right here. But first I want to check you out." said Larry as he smiled.

Larry shone a pen light in Rose's eyes and nodded, continuing to smile.

"Can you squeeze my hand? That's good…now the other one…very good." he said.

He went to the foot of the bed and lifted the covers, exposing Rose's feet. "I see Jungle Red nail varnish has come back." he said with a hint of smirk in his voice. It was just loud enough for Ted and Jeff to hear it and suppress a laugh.

Rose smiled. "Now, wiggle the toes on this foot…now your right foot…good…now this foot…perfect." Rose tried to ask about Jeff and Lucy but the words wouldn't come out of her mouth. She could only make some gargling noise.

"What's wrong with her? Why can't she talk?" That was Lucy's voice beyond the curtain. Rose tried to sit up to see her.

"Easy there Rose." said Larry. "Can you tell me who that was?"

Rose tried saying Lucy's name, but it didn't come out.

"It's OK, Rose. We're going to do some more tests and find out what's happened. And then we'll know what to do to get you better. Now here's some people who've really wanted to see you." said Larry almost to cheerfully pulling back the curtain.

Jeff and Lucy appeared at Rose's bedside. Rose felt them holding her hands. She smiled. Or at least, it felt like she smiled.

"Hey mom. We've been really scared about you, especially after what happened with dad. Uncle Ted is here looking after us. Kurt's here, too. Which is good, because otherwise, I'd be in so much trouble for killing Lucy." said Jeff putting on his fake 'performance smile'.

"She's been surprisingly civil. Fun even." Lucy stuck out her tongue at Jeff. Rose rolled her eyes and squeezed both their hands. "Really, as much fun as it's been partying with Uncle Ted, I'm so tired of Roundtable Pizza." said Jeff with a wink.

"Hey!" came a cry from somewhere over by the door. She laughed but it came out sounding like a bark. Rose knew that her brother didn't like fast food.

"Just get well. We'll be by later after your tests." Jeff kissed Rose on her forehead and smoothed back her hair. They had removed the light bandage and hadn't shaved her head. You really couldn't tell she'd had brain surgery two days ago unless you saw the stitches on her scalp.

"Mom." Lucy kissed Rose's hand as she held it. "I think Jeff was abducted by aliens or something. Because he's been so nice to me for no reason." said Lucy with a frown. Jeff just grinned.

"Just get better, mom." and Lucy kissed Rose on the cheek.

Uncle Ted took her place by the bed. "Rosie, I'm taking good care of your babies." Kurt snickered, moving closer to Jeff, who shoulder-bumped him. "I hadn't realized how much of a handful they can be together. And Jeff won't tell me where you keep the whip and chair, so I've had to figure out my own way of dealing with your little circus. We'll talk more after your tests." Ted smiled at his sister and kissed her on the forehead.

Kurt moved closer to Rose and took her hand from Jeff's grasp. "Rose I love Jeff. And I promise you, there will be no Roundtable pizza on my watch." said Kurt with authority. Rose and Jeff both smiled.

"And I'll take good care of your baby." Kurt felt Jeff's kiss on his temple as Jeff put his hand over Kurt's and Rose's.

An older orderly came into the room wearing blue hospital scrubs. He'd seen it all at this hospital-the joy of meeting a new family member, the tears of saying goodbye, and the worry and hope of loved ones in between. The worry was the hardest. He found the doc and spoke with him quietly. Larry nodded.

"We're going to have to move Rose now for her MRI. There's usually a backup but I'm told there's an opening if we hurry. Everyone, let's talk in the hallway." said Larry smiling. Jeff kissed his mom on cheek, then they all filed into the hall.

"George is going to take Rose off for her MRI and CT scans. I'm afraid there's no visiting during these procedures. It's going to be most of the morning and she'll likely be tired afterwards. Why not go have brunch and come back at about 3pm. Visit some more with Rose, then we'll talk about the results." Larry said encouragingly. Jeff and Lucy nodded.

They all started walking across the street to the Lima Bean and were standing in line to order. Kurt pulled out his phone to send a text to his dad. He wanted to update him on things with Jeff and his mom. There were two texts and a missed call.

**Hey are you guys going to the party tonight? -b**

was from an hour ago.

**Need help with dance steps. Jeff there? Know anyone else? -b**

was 15 minutes later, followed by the missed call 5 minutes after that. Kurt dialed Blaine's number. It went to voicemail.

"Hey…you're back…Listen, I don't know if you heard but Jeff has some family stuff that we're dealing with right now. I don't know if we'll make it tonight. So, I'm texting you Mike Chang's number. Even though he's 2 hours away, maybe he can help…Good luck." and Kurt ended the call. Jeff cocked his head overhearing the conversation.

They sat down with a variety of coffee, tea, sandwiches, a yoghurt parfait for Kurt and scones for Jeff and Ted.

"Does it make me a bad son for wanting to go to the party tonight?" said Jeff wistfully into his cup of Earl Grey.

"Party? What party?" asked Lucy. Kurt imagined her ears going up like a cat's listening for a can opener.

"Oh, the Warblers and Kurt's old Glee Club. It's at Wes' house tonight. Kurt and I practiced some Broadway numbers for it. I really wanted to go." said Jeff.

"Nick will be there?" asked Lucy, blushing slightly at Jeff grin.

"You should all go." said Uncle Ted. "I think we'll have more info on what's going on but I don't see that interfering with any plans for tonight." Jeff smiled broadly.

"In that case, Lucy, are you interested in doing a number for the party or are you going just to 'lurk'?" asked Jeff.

"You know I'm not much of a singer. Any suggestions?" Lucy replied.

Jeff seemed to space out for about 10 seconds, then pulled out his phone. Ignoring the text messages and a missed call, his fingers danced over the screen and tiny keyboard as he did a search. He turned to Kurt "Are you up for doing a duet?"

"What did you have in mind?" Kurt asked. Jeff showed him the screen and Kurt burst out laughing. "Yeah. Well. Yeah." he said grinning. Jeff sent Lucy the link. Her phone pinged.

"Go learn the lyrics, if you don't already know them. I'll start thinking about outfits." said Kurt. Lucy's eyebrows went up. She opened the link on her phone and started laughing.

"Blaine called me, probably for the same reason he called you." said Jeff as he read his messages. "We've got a few hours before meeting with Larry. We should practice." asked Jeff.

"Sure. Lucy, join us? We'll be able to rehearse." said Kurt.

Jeff was already calling Blaine, who, miracle of miracles, picked up. "Hello, Blaine? You need some help with your dance moves?...Oh, sure…That's a great idea…Yeah, I remember what they did in the movie…I know it's to much for you…I can do something easier…Can you meet us at Crawford's Performing Art's building in, say, 20 minutes?...Great…See you then." Jeff ended the call.

"We're all set. Uncle Ted, we'll meet you back here at 3?" asked Jeff. Ted waved them off, reaching for his laptop in his backpack.

**~.oOo.~**

The cartons from the Thai place were scattered on the breakfast island as Kurt and Jeff cleared away the dirty plates from the table. Lucy was still kind of out of it. It was hard for her to see her mom this way.

Larry had confirmed that there was a speech deficit and some weakness in her legs, but he said that it could be because they had 'rebooted her brain'. Only time would tell if any of this was long-term. Meanwhile, he was working with a speech pathologist and rehab people to speed her case along. Owen was keeping himself busy taking consults on other cases at hospital.

Once the dishes were rinsed and in the dishwasher, Jeff spoke up. "Lucy, are you still up to going to the party tonight? It's OK if you aren't." he asked tentatively.

"No. I'll go. I need to get out of here, you know?" she said as Jeff nodded.

"In that case, can I ask you to help out with making spring rolls for the party. I want to make 4 dozen. The more hands, the faster it will be." asked Jeff.

"Sure. Just tell me what to do." she replied.

With them all working, it took only 30 minutes to prep and assemble the 4 aluminum baking trays of spring rolls. Jeff made some dipping sauces and put them in plastic containers in the trays, covering each with a plastic top.

They all headed upstairs to change for the party. Kurt had thought very long and hard on what would work for the multiple numbers they were all doing and came up with a basic outfit for each that could be accessorized to work for each number. Kurt's billowy white top, blue scarf, and business suit pants complemented Lucy's simpler outfit and Jeff's bohemian artist look. So in the end, it only took them 15 minutes to get ready.

Uncle Ted met them at the door as they were about to leave.

"I want video of your songs tonight along with that duet with Lucy. In fact, why not just record the whole thing?" asked Uncle Ted.

Lucy waved the Flipcam in her hand as she picked up her tray of spring rolls. Uncle Ted helped carry the last one into the station wagon.

**~.oOo.~**

"Hey, easy there." said Jeff grinning as Blaine practically attacked him with a hug, then Kurt. "I brought Lumpia, just in case you and Wes want a snack."

Blaine looked up from Kurt's shoulder. "Wes!" he yelled, "Jeff brought Lumpia! Quick before everyone else gets it."

_That's the most undapper thing I've ever seen Blaine do._ thought Kurt.

Wes just appeared in the entrance hall. "Here, let me take your coats. The kitchen is this way." he said. Kurt, Jeff, and Lucy followed him into a Great Room with a breakfast bar laden with food. The adjacent kitchen had granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances but didn't look like it got much use.

Blaine wasted no time in opening up the plastic on one of the trays and stuffing a spring roll into his face, his eyes closed in ecstasy.

"Blaine…easy there. You'll get a cramp." teased Jeff.

"These are just like my mom's." said Blaine. "Wes, you gotta try these. With the peanut or ginger dipping sauces."

Wes bit into one with shrimp in it. "Yeah, these are like your mom's."

"It's your grandmother's recipe." said Jeff. "I asked your mom for it when I was at your place over the summer, remember?"

"Oh, yeah." Blaine said with a tinge of guilt. _Back when we were just hanging out, before things got weird. _he thought. Blaine helped himself to another spring roll. This one was shredded chicken.

"If we'd actually been dating, I don't think my mom would have given you the recipe." admitted Blaine, kind of embarrassed. "Nor would you have been invited back. My parents don't exactly approve of my 'lifestyle choices' or friends who are 'that way'."

"Your parents don't accept you, just because you're gay?" asked Lucy. She was surprised. She'd never come across parents who didn't just accept and support their kids, even if they were spoiled brats like some of the girls at Crawford.

"Pretty much. I mostly don't go home because things are kind of tense." said Blaine sadly. "That ski vacation was with my aunt. She and her wife live in Winnipeg. That's in Canada."

Assorted members of New Directions and the Warblers were gathering around the food and refreshments. The spring rolls were very popular along with hot and teriaki chicken wings, cold cuts, crudité, cheeses, fruit, and a couple buckets of KFC. Feeding 25 hungry teenagers is hard work unless you do a pot luck or just order pizza.

"Dude, did you make these roll thingys? 'Cause they're awesome. Like all the food you make." said Finn, stuffing his face from a full plate. A short brunette in a bright orange A-line dress and ballet flats stood next to him, looking over the food somewhat skeptically. There were only raw veggies on her plate and no dressing. _Ah. This must be the infamous Rachel Berry. Orange and the 1960s are __so__ not her color. She looks like a pumpkin._ thought Jeff.

"Excuse me, did you make these? Are they vegan? Is there honey in this dressing?" she asked.

"We did, Rachel. I saved a plate of the vegetarian ones, along with the dipping sauces." said Kurt. "And this is my boyfriend Jeff and his sister Lucy. Jeff, this is Rachel Berry."

"Nice to finally meet you, Rachel. Yes, these are vegan and gluten free. So are the sauces. The tahini-garlic dressing is sweetened with agave nectar. One's a peanut sauce so be careful if you have a nut allergy. The shrimp and chicken ones are traif, of course." said Jeff.

Lucy took one look at Rachel and just said "Hey."

"Why thank you." Rachel said smiling. "Most cooks don't realize that some people have special dietary needs. And it's nice to finally meet you." She tasted the spring roll with some of Jeff's dressing and her eyes lit up.

"May I have the recipe for this? Finn is so hard to please when it comes to cooking for both of us." said Rachel.

_So they were back together. Again._ thought Kurt.

"Sure. I'll send it to you." said Jeff pulling out his phone and tapping an App and the tiny keyboard to make a note. "Kurt has your email address?" Rachel nodded.

"So what from the Barbara songbook are you going to do tonight?" asked Kurt. _That dress says it all_.

"Oh, you'll just have to wait and see. Finn and I have been practicing." she said sweetly.

"Did you make that dress from stills from the movie? I can't imagine where you'd buy it." said Kurt. _Or some midget drag queen cleaned out their closet._

Rachel paused slightly. "I can't wait to hear what you're doing." she said with her fake performance smile._ Ah huh._ Kurt thought with a slight smile.

She finished her plate of food and threw it away. Taking Finn's arm and excusing herself, she wandered into the crowd to talk to an unsuspecting Wes and David. _She never stops trying to get an edge._ thought Kurt.

"I can tell she's just a barrel of fun at parties." said Lucy. _Mostly if you put her in the barrel._

"Oh, just get her and Blaine drunk. Then watch the fun." said Kurt as Jeff snorted. He'd heard all about that party from Kurt.

Mercedes came up to the food table. "Hey, Lucy girl. I checked out some of those singers you mentioned. While Adele has nothing on Aretha, I do like a lot of her songs." Lucy beamed.

"And how's you mom, Jeff? Is she doing better?" asked Mercedes.

"She's awake. They're running tests. We won't know for few more days. But we're hopeful." said Jeff. "Thanks for asking."

"Hey, no problem. I'll pray for you and your mom." she said.

"That would be lovely." replied Jeff smiling.

"Huh. White Boy over here doesn't really believe in that sort of thing. Jesus, Buddha, Mohammed, whatever. It's all good." said Mercedes.

"It is. And it's much appreciated. Thank you." said Jeff.

Kurt's face fell. He hadn't forgotten how badly he'd treated her. In fact, he had been ungracious to most of his friends during that time when he needed them most.

"Listen, Cedes. I'm really sorry…" he began.

"Now, Kurt. I got it. We all got it. Anger is one of those steps in a grief process. I talked it over with my Pastor and he helped me to understand what you were going through. We're cool." she said smiling.

"On another topic, what are you singing tonight?" asked Jeff.

"You'll just have to wait and see." she said grinning as Kurt raised an eyebrow. _Why are they all being so secretive?_ he thought.

Wes stood by the fireplace, gentling tapping a water goblet. "Hey, everyone!". The room quieted down slowly as the Warblers started shushing the New Directions kids. _Wes has these guys well trained,_ thought Kurt.

"Welcome to the first joint Warbler/New Directions **Tribute to Broadway**. You are encouraged to sing and dance your favorite songs, so long as they're from a past or current Broadway musical." said Wes with mock solemnity. "And just to make it interesting, there will be prizes at the end of evening in a variety of categories."

"From what I heard, this should be second nature to all of you in New Directions." Wes continued with a grin and glancing at Kurt. Rachel glared at Kurt as if he'd given nuclear technology to Pakistan or diplomatic cables to Wikileaks.

"So, who's up first?" asked Wes.

Jeff looked at Kurt and Blaine. Kurt nodded and stood.

"We'll go." said Jeff as he pulled out his phone. "What's your WiFi password?"

"biggavel, lowercase, no spaces." said Wes as Kurt snorted.

"We'll just have to try that on your Facebook, Twitter, and Gmail accounts." said David as he shoulder bumped his best friend. Wes' eyes widened in alarm and he ran from the room. _Some people don't think much about computer security._ thought Jeff.

"OK, I'm in. I'll play the music through 'GreatRoomSpeakers'." said Jeff. "Wes, we're waiting." he called impatiently.

Wes hurried back into the room and scowled at David. _Fastest typist in the Warblers._ thought Jeff as he chuckled and pressed PLAY. A spare piano played rhythmically as Jeff faced Kurt and Kurt put his hands on his hips with the perfect Bitch Please™ face.

_[Jeff] This is weird, [Kurt] it's weird very weird,  
[Jeff] f-ing weird  
[Kurt] I'm so mad that I don't know what to do_

_[Kurt] Fighting with microphones  
Freezing down to my bones  
And to top it all off I'm with you_

Jeff brought his hands over his head like he was clicking castanets, then made a face and gestures of exasperation as he sang.

_[Jeff] Feel like going insane?  
Got a fire in your brain?  
And you're thinking of drinking gasoline?_

_[Kurt] As a matter of fact,  
[Jeff] Honey, I know this act  
It's called the 'Tango Maureen'_

They argued back and forth.Kurt turn away from Jeff and crossed his arms shifting his weight to one foot and cocking his hip. He turned up the Bitch Please™ face 10x.

They continued singing back and forth.

_[Jeff] Has she ever pouted her lips  
And called you 'Pookie'?_

Puck and several of the Warblers hooted. Kurt's ears turned pink as he continued singing.

[Kurt] Never,  
[Jeff] Have you ever doubted a kiss or two?  
[Kurt] This is spooky

Kurt had a look of recognition and shock on his face as he turned towards Jeff with his arms crossed. Kurt brought his hand to his mouth, then the music changed to short flamingo guitar solo. Still facing each other, Jeff cocked his head to as if to invite Kurt to 'show me what ya got'.

They turned to stand shoulder to shoulder, looking at each other. Jeff grasped Kurt's hand and spun him around so they were facing each other. He stepped closer still holding Kurt's hand, placing his right hand in the small of Kurt's back. Kurt's left hand went to Jeff's shoulder and the right to his waist.

Jeff marched forward in time with the music and Kurt followed him in perfect backwards lock step. They did some intricate shuffle and a turn that would have taken the Warblers a week to master, stretched out their back legs for a beat, then moved in closer to spin around together until they were facing each other.

_[Jeff] Where'd you learn to tango?  
[Kurt] With the French Ambassador's daughter  
In her dorm room at Crawford. And you?_

_[Jeff] With Naomi Goldfarb  
The Rabbi's daughter at the  
Columbus Jewish Community Center_

Kurt stepped forward attempting to lead Jeff in the same steps. Jeff stumbled. When Kurt spun and dipped him, Jeff over balanced and bent over backwards hitting the floor. It almost looked like he fell but Kurt was holding Jeff in a backbend. _God is he limber._ thought Kurt. Kurt pulled Jeff to standing.

_[Jeff] It's hard to do this backwards  
[Kurt] You should try it in heels_

"Go Ginger" yelled Puck and some of the Warbler boys laughed. Kurt's cheeks turned pink and Jeff grinned. Kurt was tempted to stick his tongue out at Puck but considered it unprofessional.

They resumed their initial positions and continued with Kurt leading and singing back and forth with Jeff.

The couple moved smoothly, doing the intricate tango footwork of shuffles, spins, and lots of eye sex. Kurt blushed when Jeff dipped him, turning his face away. When they resumed dancing, you couldn't tell who was leading and who was following as they just flowed around the room.

They stopped in front of the fireplace, facing each other, then turned to face the rest of group.

_[both] the 'Tango Maureen'_

They held hands and took a bow as everyone applauded. New Directions and Warblers alike, whistled and shouted. Kurt bowed again with a huge smile. He looked at Jeff and saw the same smile he'd seen as in the Dance Studio just two days ago.

Kurt pulled Jeff into a hug and whispered "I love dancing with you." and kissed him. Jeff shivered and whimpered very quietly.

They broke apart and Kurt caught Lucy's eye, tilting his head. She nodded. Kurt bent over, rolling up his pant legs then stood up.

"But wait, there's more. Jeff's sister Lucy and I have realized there's a new aspect to our relationship." Kurt took the scarf off and wrapped it around his head securing it with a clip from his pocket. From Kurt's messenger bag, Lucy pulled out two large blue fans she'd found in Crawford's Drama department.

They moved in front of the fireplace, raised the fans to cover their faces, and Kurt nodded to Jeff to press PLAY on his phone. Lucy and Kurt used lowering the fans from their faces as a cue to start singing together.

_[both] Sisters, Sisters_

_There were never such devoted sisters_

There was scattered laughter from Mercedes, Quinn, Puck, and assorted Warblers. Lucy did a reasonable job of singing along with the music. Kurt's voice clearly carried the song.

_[Kurt] When a certain gentleman arrived from Rome_

_[Lucy] She wore the dress and I stayed home_

And of course, Puck yelled "And you looked damn hot in it!" More laughter this time mostly from the Warblers. Kurt and Lucy continued through to the end.

_And Lord help the sister_

_Who comes between me and my man_

Jeff notice all all-to-familiar glint in Lucy's eye as they were finishing. Just like in the movie version, she started whacking Kurt with her fan. None to gently because Kurt flinched. _Uh-oh._ thought Jeff. There was an all-to-familiar look in Kurt's eye.

_Sisters [whack]_

_Sisters [whack]_

_Sisters [whack]_

_Don't come between me and my man_

Lucy was just about to whack Kurt one last time when he grabbed her fan and started whacking Lucy right back. She ran off stage and Kurt took off after her. The audience was laughing and applauding.

"Uhm…please excuse me. I don't wanna have to explain any bruises." said Jeff as he followed them out of the room.

Blaine looked confused as he said "Uhm…I was going to go next, but my dance partners are otherwise engaged. Someone else?"

"We'll go." said Rachel as she moved to the 'stage' area in front of the fireplace, pulling a chair from the dinning room over to 'stage left'. Finn gave a CD to Wes and stood 'stage right' and nodded. Wes put the disk in the player and pressed PLAY.

Meanwhile, Jeff went down a hallway to what turned out to be a 'media room' with a big screen TV, gaming console, and a wall filled with DVDs. He didn't expect to find Kurt and Lucy embracing and laughing hysterically. Kurt began unrolling his pant legs.

"What's going on?" Jeff asked tentatively.

"I kind of figured that Lucy would go there…you know…that scene from the movie?" said Kurt with a grin. "Then I saw that look on her face and I was sure. It didn't soften the surprise when she actually whacked me. It did hurt a bit. I think the spirit of Christina Crawford inspired me to grab the frigging wire hanger out that Joan's hand and whack her back."

"Who cares. The song worked. And it was funny." said Lucy unapologetically.

"Machiavelli would weep." said Jeff with a grin.

"We should get back there. We sorta left Blaine." said Kurt. Jeff nodded and followed Kurt and Lucy back into the Great Room.

Finn and Rachel were in the midst of their number, with Rachel sitting with her hands over her ears rocking back and forth while Finn was belting out the song.

_Come in pain or in joy_

_As a girl, as a boy_

_In a bag or a trunk_

_[Rachel: Shut up!]_

_On a horse or a drunk_

_In the flora or fauna, come back to me_

_Come back to me, come back..._

_[Rachel turns and stands] _

_Shut up! Shut up! Will you stop bothering me?_

As far as Kurt could tell, it was a straightforward lifting of the scene from the movie. Her outfit even sort of matched. The one difference was that they made **On A Clear Day** into a duet. The Warblers liked it and applauded loudly. New Directions having seen what Rachel would do to show off her voice, were less enthusiastic, but they still applauded. _Someday, Rachel will learn that singing is about feeling rather than notes._ thought Kurt. _And she'll stop trying to be Barbara and start being Rachel._

Changing into borrowed tap shoes, Kurt, Jeff, and Blaine performed Jeff's choreography and sang **Good Mornin' **perfectly which blended into Blaine's spot-on version of **Singin' In the Rain**. When Kurt had told Blaine they'd done a similar mashup in New Directions, Blaine didn't want to do it. But Kurt convinced him to do it acapella with a tap solo with Jeff and Kurt filling in background vocals.

After that, the various songs others sang began to blend together. Everyone was all so talented and Kurt was sort of surprised that he reached a saturation point towards the end. He did have to explain to Brittany that he and Jeff were still dolphins and weren't dating someone named Maureen.

A big surprise for him was Wes and David singing **I'll Cover You** from **Rent**. Kurt didn't know Wes was that good a singer as he'd only ever heard him doing the Warbler's background vocals. _He could sing lead._ thought Kurt.

Wes ended with a song from **The Wiz**.

_ When I think of home_

_ I think of a place where there's love overflowing_

He had a trained voice that could do Broadway easily. And this song touched something inside Kurt.

_ Wind that makes the tall grass bend into leaning_

_ Suddenly the raindrops that fall have a meaning_

_ Sprinklin' the scene, makes it all clean_

What more could Dalton be that some fantasy place where it's OK and safe to just love? Free from the ugly names, being slammed into lockers or thrown into a dumpster.

_Living here, in this brand new world_

_ Might be a fantasy_

_ But it taught me to love_

_ So it's real to me_

Kurt had found acceptance and love when he'd least expected it. At first, he thought he was in love with Blaine only to realize it was just another crush. Jeff was different. Jeff was someone he could stand by and someone who'd stand by him. And someone who loved him back.

_And I've learned_

_ That we must look inside our hearts_

_ To find a world full of love_

_ Like yours_

_ Like mine_

_ Like home_

Kurt whispered in Jeff ear "That's how I feel when you hold me in your arms—like I'm home." and kissed him.

**~.oOo.~**

Finn pulled Kurt away to talk before they headed back to Dalton. Mike Chang came over to congratulate Jeff and Blaine on their 'win' for best song and dance number.

"That was a great version of **Good Morning** and **Tango Maureen**, guys. Hey, how did you break Kurt of his annoying little shimmy?" asked Mike.

"Excuse me?" asked Jeff raising an eyebrow. Blaine snorted because he knew exactly what Mike was talking about.

"You know. His 'signature move'." and Mike demonstrates shaking his shoulders with his hands up against his chest. Jeff laughed remembering Kurt doing this little move during a Warbler rehearsal. Personally, he thought it was adorable.

"It only took him one 2-hour rehearsal to learn the tap routine and two rehearsals to get the tango down. I guess I just gave him better moves." Jeff said grinning. Mike's eyebrow went up. "As I said to Sam, da boys gotz skills."

Kurt laughed and shook his head at Finn as he walked towards the boys. Finn who did not look happy.

"Care to enlighten us?" asked Blaine.

"Oh, Finn was hoping we took the Lasertag prize rather than the Spa Day. He was hoping to trade his gift card. I had to disappoint him." said Kurt. "I was laughing because the picture of Finn waking up after getting a pedicure to discover Jungle Red nail varnish on his toes was just to funny."

Kurt didn't understand why Mike Chang laughed so hard, until he found out that he'd mentioned this to Tina who shared that image with everyone in New Directions. Finn was not happy with Kurt for a while.

**~.oOo.~**

A/N: I wrote the last chapter before ASIAN F, where Kurt sees Jeff really dance for the first time. And, yes, giving Kurt another reason to love Jeff (besides his beautiful smile and toned dancer's butt).

I've been told that most hospitals won't allow physicians without privileges to practice in them. Here they do because they're small and underfunded and if the MD is of sufficient stature. Also, the HMO that owns the hospital doesn't want repeat of the mess (malpractice litigation and ultimate resignation of the chief cardiologist and head administrator of the hospital) that resulted in the death of Jeff's Dad.

I tried very hard not turn this chapter into a song-fic as those tend to have very little story. I still planned a full program of songs and ended up not using them. I realized that the songs I'd mapped out for everyone were really irrelevant as they didn't contribute to the story. Even on the show, the songs move the story along somehow. Telly Leung's performance of HOME is on youtube.

The final song list and awards are:

Kurt & Jeff – **Tango Maureen**

Kurt & Lucy – **Sisters**

Finn & Rachel – **Come Back To Me / On A Clear Day**

BEST SONG & DANCE: Jeff, Blaine, & Kurt – **Medley: Good Morning / Singin' In the Rain**

BEST PERFORMANCE: Arty & New Directions – **Mashup: Trouble in River City / 76 Trombones**

Finn, Puck, Mike and Arty – **Brush Up Your Shakespeare**

Puck & Lauren — **So in Love**

SEXIEST: Santana & Brittany – **Mashup: Whatever Lola Wants / Let Me Entertain You**

Quinn – **Gonna Wash that Man Right Outta My Hair**

BEST SOLO: Nick – **Promises, Promises**

Rachel & Blaine – **I'll Never Fall in Love Again**

BEST DUET: Rachel & Mercedes – **Take Me or Leave Me**

Wes & David – **I'll Cover You**

Wes – **Home**

KFC=Kentucky Fried Chicken (for any non-American's reading out there). It's pretty scary if that acronym is known in NZ or AU or Europe.


	15. Muse

**A/N: I've got some ideas from other authors. If you see something that was in your story, it may very well be. Thanks in advance.**

**I had to plot out the timeline of the chapters to get a clearer picture of when this story was happening. The "break" was the last week of March. This takes place during Passover/Easter week in mid-April. There's a break, then mid-May for the recital.**

**Secret Admirer / Ch. 15 - Muse**

Author: TerribleSpy

Rating: T+

Characters: Kurt, Jeff, Blaine (no KLAINE, sorry)

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee. I just want to play in that universe.

**~.oOo.~**

Usually, Burt was grumpy on Income Tax day. But the new tax guy had found stuff Burt had missed. The heart attack, while costing a bundle in medical bills, had saved Burt a lot of money thanks to a special tax-exempt bank account. He'd also setup an account for Kurt's Dalton tuition. This April 15th, Burt was relatively happy. He'd spent a lot of money he didn't plan on, but it had actually _lowered_ his taxes.

But this Income Tax day, Kurt was grumpy.

He hadn't had any real alone-time with Jeff in almost two weeks. They both had mountains of school work-papers and projects, plus several exams-to do their first week back. And they did make an effort to see each other, albeit briefly. A quick breakfast in the dining hall, lunch with the Warblers, and sometimes dinner together-only to hurry back to more homework. Studying _together_ was not really an option. They both knew neither of them would get any actual work done. Kurt insisted they have a goodnight kiss before curfew to end the day. It helped, but it wasn't nearly enough. Kurt's lips were getting lonely.

Over the last two weeks, Kurt had gotten a large assortment of Secret Admirer emails. To make up for the break, he supposed. It had distracted him the first week.

They ranged from a collection of fake fashion magazine covers featuring Disney Princesses. Snow White on **Vogue** but Cinderella on **Elle**? Really?

To a cartoon of Edna Mode, hands on hips looking at Bob who's asking her to fix his uniform. "I never look back, darling! It distracts from the Now." That was so incredibly on-point that he'd sent it to Jeff right after opening it.

To a link about a line of Diesel boxer briefs fashioned after Batman, the Flash, and Green Lantern. _That's not creepy at all._ thought Kurt dryly when he'd opened the link. He'd bought a pair of each, saving them for a future gift opportunities for Jeff. _He's look so hot in the red ones._ thought Kurt.

Kurt knocked on Jeff's dorm room door. Jeff opened it and eyed the picnic basket with a smile.

"My roommate is out…" Kurt didn't let Jeff finish the sentence before putting down the basket and pulling him into an impressive kiss. Jeff inhaled deeply and pulled Kurt closer wrapping his arms around the boy's waist. When they both came up for air, Jeff chuckled as he noticed the open door. He picked up the basket and pushed the door closed.

"You know I don't care who sees us." said Kurt. "It's not like we had our hands in each other's pants or anything."

"I wish." said Jeff as Kurt snorted. "Everyone thinks we're schtupping like bunnies anyway." said Jeff shrugging. They sat on his bed.

They were planning on watching a movie or just talking and cuddling until curfew. So Kurt took the opportunity to wear the yoga outfit he'd bought in Westerville-the acid green top, black pants and Kung Fu slippers. Jeff wore the blue top with black pants. And a lightweight black hoodie with a large hand outlined in white in front, so that when you zipped up the front, you got the Vulcan hand salute for "Live Long and Prosper". _That's so Jeff_, thought Kurt.

"Huh. We could be in our quarters onboard a Federation starship." said Jeff smiling. "I'm Mister 'Ma-I'm-busy' Shapiro, your chief science officer. 'A big star ship you're on and you couldn't call your mother once and a while, Mister I'm-Saving-The-Universe?'"

Kurt laughed, shaking his head.

"What, like there would be no Jewish guilt in the 24th century? C'mon. Guilt is timeless. Jewish mothers have been using it on their families for over five thousand years. I doubt it would stop all of a sudden in the next 200." said Jeff raising an eyebrow.

"You are such a dork." said Kurt.

"Yes, sir. You're wearing executive rank, so you're Captain Kurt of the Starship Fabulous." said Jeff as best he could without smiling. Kurt's eyes went all squinty and he pursed his lips, which finally made Jeff laugh.

"It could be worse. Just wait 'till I figure out our Halloween costumes. You haven't seen me as Legolas. I sang **I Whip My Hair **at last year's Warbler Halloween party. Blaine could not stop laughing." said Jeff. _Oh my. _thought Kurt. He tried to clear his head of the image of Jeff with waist-length blonde hair and pointy ears.

"Our schedules these last two weeks have been so crazy. It prompted me to make this." said Kurt as he pulled out an envelop from the picnic basket. "I was super busy when I was in the Cheerios last year. Dad and I didn't see much of each other. I was up early. Or at Glee. Or at a Cheerios practice until late. Weekends even. So I started leaving him love-you notes and making cards along with meals he could microwave."

Jeff opened the envelop to find a hand-made card. Exquisite cut-out forms of Piglet and Pooh with inked-in details were pasted on a background so that they were walking down a snowy, wooded path. Inside, it said

**Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind.  
**"**Pooh?" he whispered.  
**"**Yes, Piglet?"  
**"**Nothing," said Piglet, taking Pooh's hand.  
**"**I just wanted to be sure of you."**

_I will always be sure of you  
__-Love, Kurt_

Jeff sighed and positioned Kurt's chin with his index finger. He leaned down for kiss that evolved into a hug. Kurt sighed, too.

Jeff pulled back and looked into Kurt's face. "Piglet, huh?" he said inquisitively.

_This is so embarrassing._ thought Kurt. "It's a nickname my mom gave me…after I climbed the kitchen counter and cleaned out the cookie jar. I was two." said Kurt blushing. "Actually, I think you're more like Tigger than Pooh."

Jeff chuckled. "I really am more partial to **Calvin and Hobbes**. One of my favorites is of Calvin sneezing into a tissue, pausing to look at it, and saying 'Uh oh. I'm leaking brain lubricant.'" Kurt laughed, shaking his head. He pulled Jeff back into a hug.

They held each other, rocking back and forth gently, heads on the other's shoulders. Jeff pulled back, smoothed Kurt's hair a bit, and kissed him lightly. They moved back against the headboard.

"Mom said my name today. And Lucy's. She really laughed and applauded when I showed her the video of us singing at the party." Jeff said with a huge smile. "Although I think she said Lucy's name because she was being obnoxious."

"Oh my god, Jeff! That's wonderful." and Kurt pulling him back into a hug. "I'm so happy for you. What did Larry say?"

"He was encouraged. She's using a walker, but she _is_ walking. He's looking for someone that does movement retraining. Apparently, there aren't as many in Ohio as there are in California." said Jeff. The day was getting nearer when Uncle Ted would take Jeff's mom to a rehab facility in San Francisco. She was almost well enough to travel with assistance.

"And I…I talked to Mr. Stanton…about college applications." said Jeff.

"Oh?" asked Kurt.

"I told him I wanted to look at colleges for psychology or physical therapy." said Jeff. "In New York. Specifically New York City."

Kurt's eyebrows went up and he squeezed Jeff's shoulders. "New York?" he asked quietly.

"When your Dad and I had our little chat, he wanted to know my plans for college. And where I saw _you_ in those plans." said Jeff. Kurt nodded.

"Carol had asked me the same questions while we were shopping. So I was sort of ready for them. It helped me figure out how I felt. About you. About us. I told your dad I wanted to go to New York. To be with you. To help you follow your dreams, if you wanted me to. But I still had to ask you." said Jeff blushing. Kurt flushed a little in surprise.

"Your dad seemed surprised I hadn't talked to you yet. I asked him how would he feel if he and I only been going out a month and I asked to follow him to college and spend the rest of my life with him." said Jeff shyly.

"He said that if it were him, he would have gotten a restraining order. However, he thought you might think differently. Do you?" asked Jeff quietly.

Kurt reached up and held Jeff's face in his hands. He kissed Jeff's right eyelid. Then his left and the boy whimpered softly, his lips attempting to find Kurt's. When Kurt got to Jeff's mouth, Jeff actually growled as they locked lips.

Kurt was the one to break contact, making Jeff sigh at the loss.

"Yes, I'd love for you to come to New York with me." said Kurt.

"Sorry it took so long to ask. I was going to later that week, but mom…" said Jeff.

"Hey. It's OK. And don't think I didn't notice the 'rest of your life' bit." said Kurt.

"Yeah…well, I'll take New York as a first step." said Jeff.

"What about Julliard? Or a minor in dance?" asked Kurt as he got out some homemade tapioca pudding, Jeff's favorite. He had used his connections with Dalton's kitchens to allow him use their facilities to make it for Jeff.

"I'm not sure I want a career in dance. All the dancers I know feel they_ have to _dance. Somehow. And I don't feel that. I don't need the spotlight or the audience like Blaine does. I'd be fine in community theater or working in children's theater in my spare time. I did that last summer and it was a blast. If a minor in dance gets me that, great." said Jeff. "Mmm. This is good. Thanks for making it for me."

Kurt smiled. "Are we set for Tuesday night?" he asked, digging into his own portion.

"Oh yeah. Uncle Ted is cooking up a storm for the Seder. He hasn't done one in years." said Jeff.

"Wes and David are letting me skip Warbler practice, but there was grumbling. I don't know what the issue is." said Kurt.

"It's not just you, babe. It's both of us plus Nick." Kurt nodded. "And I think they feel left out. I couldn't invite them last year because it was the week of Sectionals. And I don't want to overwhelm Uncle Ted with so many guests. He's doing everything himself."

"Should we head over right after school to help out?" asked Kurt.

"Yeah. You never know when planning an event. Murphy's Law and all that." said Jeff. Kurt smiled, nodding, which surprised Jeff. _He knows about Murphy's Law!_ _How did this amazing boy end up in my life?_ thought Jeff.

Kurt was thinking about life in New York with Jeff. He didn't know how, but he wanted to make sure Jeff got that chance to study psychology and teach kids theater.

Jeff's roommate returned to find the two boys in a cuddle pile, dozing in each other's arms. He hated to wake them, but he had some studying to do before turning in.

**~.oOo.~**

"Tell Jeff thank you. We got his little 'CARE package'." said Burt, adding the air quotes with his fingers. He and Ted were standing in line at a Lima Bean that was 5 minutes from Hummel Tire and Lube.

"CARE package? That's something our family borrowed from those dreadful African aid commercials in the 60s. It was my mom's way of sending home extra food on holidays 'just so you won't starve on the way home'. What did he send you?" asked Ted.

"A very nice thank you note and gifts. I kept after him about the recipes for all the food he cooked, so he printed them out and had them spiral bound AND laminated so that they would lay flat. Lavender bath stuff to my wife and some video game to my step-son Finn. They're both really happy." said Burt.

Ted nodded. "After he spent last summer with me, he sent me a nice note and a 'Bag Of Holding' messenger bag from THINK GEEK. He must have noticed my old backpack was falling apart and rather un-chic. I got comments on it at work." said Ted as they got their drinks and sat down. "Rose always was a stickler for manners."

"You said on the phone you wanted to talk about Kurt and Jeff." asked Burt. "Are they OK?"

"We had a wonderful Passover Seder last night. Kurt had a great time considering he's not 'into the whole God thing' as he puts it. He liked my version of the Hagada which talked about God being a 'Universal Spirit inside all of us'. And as far as I can tell, they're fine as a couple. I knew they'd patch things up and work it out." said Ted.

"They had a fight?"

"A couple weeks back, when all the medical craziness with my sister was happening. I think it was their first. I remember hearing yelling upstairs, then Jeff running out crying. Kurt following shortly afterwards just as upset. I had friends coming over for dinner so I couldn't focus on those two. So I gave Kurt the option of 'being indisposed' and not joining us. He was totally captivated by my friends. They've been together for 10 years and got married before the courts invalidated California's Prop. 8. Kurt had lots of questions. And he admired their taste in wedding rings." said Ted.

"I'll bet." said Burt with a thin smile.

"We offered stories about past fights. But Kurt came up with his own solution." said Ted as he pulled out his phone and earbuds. He found the video and handed the the earbuds to Burt.

"Kurt made this and sent it to Jeff." Ted pressed PLAY. He saw the pain play out on Burt's face as he watched Kurt obviously hurting but still holding it together enough to sing.

The video ended and Burt took the earbuds out, exhaling deeply, his eyes holding back tears. "That kid tends to fall hard and fast." he said.

"So does Jeff. I asked him about college and he told me he wants to go to New York to be with Kurt. There's also this." said Ted. He paged through photos on his phone to find the one of Kurt and Jeff sleeping together in a puppy pile and showed it to Burt. Burt smiled at the picture.

"Both boys mentioned something about visiting Jeff in the Bay area over the summer. But if and when depended upon you." said Ted. "Is that still an option?"

_Now we're getting to it._ thought Burt.

"I'm thinking about it." said Burt noncommittally. "How does this play with all the stuff with your sister?"

"My house is big enough. Kurt and Jeff will have to share a room, but I don't think that's a problem." said Ted. "Are you worried about them getting to serious or physical to soon?"

"Something like that." admitted Burt.

"Well, I personally think that kids nowadays jump into casual 'hook-ups' all to soon." said Ted in quiet tones. "I've even heard that some boys are trying to redefine 'doing it' as only the 'main event'. That leaves other activities as fair game because they're not technically 'doing it'. And I'm sorry. Call me old-fashioned, but to me those activities are _so_ 'doing it'." Ted glanced around as he kept his voice down.

"You talked to Jeff and Kurt about this?" asked Burt, clearly uncomfortable with the topic.

"It's not really my business. Well, maybe with Jeff it is, since I'm his guardian now." replied Ted. "But no, not directly. Jeff did ask me about waiting for the 'right time' and how I knew. And knowing Jeff, he wants it to be special and memorable. He knows I waited six months before Jason and I did anything together beyond kissing."

"You and Jason? You mean…" said Burt as understanding dawned on him. "Uhm…how old were you, you know, when, if I might ask."

"With Jason? I was 28 and Jason was 24. But he wasn't my first boyfriend. I'd dated a couple guys since I came out at 25." said Ted. He noticed Burt's surprise.

"I am continually amazed when I hear stories of kids coming-out earlier and earlier. A friend was 15 when he came out in high school in the late 80s. I've heard of kids coming out in grade school nowadays." said Ted.

"I might be pursued to allow Kurt to visit if you can…you know…keep them apart." said Burt.

Ted's expression remained neutral. "What's your concern about them finally taking that last step?"

"I just don't want Kurt…to get in over his head…and get hurt if things don't work out." said Burt.

"You saw how hurt he was in that video. I think he's already there. If I pulled Jeff out of Dalton now and moved everyone to San Francisco, ending Jeff's daily contact with Kurt, they would be just as devastated as if they'd broken up."

Burt nodded in reluctant agreement.

Ted continued. "Yes, they're in high school. Yes, they may not last. But they'll work thought whatever problems they have and be together. Or they won't. They'll break up and move on. Is there any guarantee about love?"

Again, Burt shook his head reluctantly.

"Personally, I'd love to see them give it a try. I'm willing to turn my house into a **Bravo** reality show with Kurt, Jeff, and his sister Lucy all sharing a bathroom. For two weeks or the whole summer. But it's not up to me. You have the final say in this." said Ted.

"The whole summer?" Burt's eyebrows went up.

"Well, initially I was thinking the boys could drive Jeff's car cross-country to my place in San Francisco as part of the move. It's a good two days of solid round-the-clock driving. Four to five days if they take their time and check out places like the Grand Canyon on the way. They'll have to spend time together, cooped up in a car with nothing but each other's company. Doing that with Jeff and Lucy would be like sparking the perfect mix of gasoline vapor and air." said Ted. Burt grinned.

"Jeff driving by himself is probably OK but I'd be happier if he wasn't alone. Does Kurt ever get cranky?" asked Ted.

Burt smile broadened. "I like where you're going with this. Get them to see each other after the honeymoon is over."

"Traveling well with your partner is a skill you have to develop. Otherwise, I think it's a prelude to fights, squabbling, and not speaking to each other under stress. OR. It's extended discussions about everything and anything, getting to know the other person to the point that you can read their mood with a look." Ted smiled.

Burt nodded his head. He'd taken those types of trips with Mollie to the beach up north with 2-year-old Kurt in the car seat. Ted's idea was inspired.

"And as to why for the whole summer. Last year, Jeff missed out on the auditions for the local Youth Theater summer production. He ended up in the chorus and working on the sets. This year, they're doing **Cats** and I'm having him fly out to audition for a long weekend. It's before the end of Dalton's term, so I've arranged to have him makeup any work he misses." said Ted.

"When's the performance?" asked Burt. _I will never hear the end of it if Kurt doesn't audition._ he thought.

"Mid-August, I think. He already missed the audition for **Bye Bye Birdy**. Suppose Kurt drives out with Jeff, stays a week or two, and then flies home. He'll see Jeff start rehearsals. If he comes later to see Jeff perform, I'm sure he'll be happy for Jeff's success. But either way, I think he'll spend a lot of the time wishing he's part of that production. It just seems like a waste. If he auditions with Jeff, even if they don't get cast, they could still be able to build sets and sing in the chorus together. Any of this would look good on a college application."

Again Burt was nodding.

"Personally, I think Kurt will get a part. He'd would make an incredible Grizabella. Think of how that experience would look on his college application if he applies for a theater or performing arts program. In any case, I'm sure I could keep him occupied over the summer. Jeff might work for me at my software company or he might spend it being a tourist guide with Kurt. There's a Bed and Breakfast that has a package with a video night of **Citizen Kane** and a film expert. And tickets to Hearst Castle the next day. I've been dying to take Jeff to that." said Ted with a glint in his eye.

Burt smiled a little and nodded. "What's that word for matchmaker? Yentl?"

"Close enough. It's yenta. And it's true." said Ted grinning. "And any advise you can offer a new single parent on managing sibling rivalry would be appreciated."

Burt snorted. "A whip and a chair."

"Funny you should mention that. I've been looking for Rose's whip since I got here." said Ted smiling back.

**~.oOo.~**

Jeff peeked nervously through the curtains over the entrance to the practice rooms, which turned the hallway into the 'wings' for the main stage. The audience was packed. Every performer had been given only two tickets for family and friends. Kurt and Jeff found a performer who had an extra ticket so Mike Chang could attend. They both wanted Mike to see what Jeff could do.

Jeff was on the border of panic, like he always was before performing. He took a deep breath and tried to stretch his neck. Kurt recognized the breathing exercises just like those he did before Regionals.

Kurt smiled and whispered "You're so beautiful when you dance. You know everyone will see that and not just me, right?" Jeff looked down shyly and nodded. After tonight, Jeff was going to make sure that Kurt knew just how much he meant to Jeff. He'd put it in the program notes.

In the audience, Ted, Carol, Blaine, Nick and Mike sat waiting for the performance to start. Mike was reading the program and noticed that Jeff was given choreography credit for some of the pieces as well as being a featured performer _and_ a vocalist. _Impressive._ thought Mike. Nick and Ted told him about last year's dance recital. _Jeff as the Faun? _mused Mike with a little smile. _I'll just bet Kurt has video of that._ The lights dimmed.

The stuff before the intermission was a mix of ballet and modern dance to allow the beginning and intermediate students a chance to perform for an audience. Nick noticed Jeff in a large group doing couples variations with one of the girls. Nick nudged Blaine, who nodded in recognition.

The last piece before intermission was a modern dance set to **Masquerade** from **Phantom Of The Opera**. Performers were dressed in a black calf-length leggings, white tops, and black ballet slippers. The girls had on a tutu and the men wore a black vest and bow ties of colors that matched the tutus. The steps were a simple enough-a mix of turns, lifts, leaps, and some intricate synchronized work with fans. It was visually striking but not very complex using simpler steps with lots of people and props to distract the eye. It was a common choreographer's trick for less skilled dancers. At the end, the Phantom leapt out in a cape and half mask as the music crescendoed into the Phantom's Theme. Mike snorted. This Phantom had _very_ blonde, slicked back hair. _That white boy can __jump__._ he thought. The audience applauded enthusiastically as the lights came up and the group took their bows. The Phantom didn't bow as part of the group, but vanished into the improvised 'wings'.

Jeff went back to the boy's dressing room to change. Kurt had designed the costumes he would wear for his dance pieces. Kurt poked his head in to talk to Jeff and quickly looked away. Jeff was sitting on a bench in just a dancer's belt, pulling on black jazz pants and loose white peasant shirt with a vest.

Jeff caught him looking. "No peeking." Kurt's ears reddened.

"Well, no peeking _here._" Jeff amended. "I need to focus."

"Then I'll just _think_ about nibbling on your ears." said Kurt quietly in Jeff's left ear. Jeff stuck out his tongue at Kurt.

"OK." Kurt giggled. "I'll go to watch from the sound booth. Love you." he said as he kissed Jeff on the cheek and left.

The stage manager poked his head into the dressing room and called out the names of two boys in Jeff's modern jazz class. They were on just after intermission. They hurried out into the hall.

Jeff did a couple Sun Salutes and some seated twists on the floor to clear his head. He ended with sitting in half lotus. The details of what it took to put together these dances were slowly melting as he imagined his brain turning to liquid and draining out through his eyes, ears, and nose with each breath.

The stage manager appeared. "5 minutes Jeff."

Jeff nodded and smiled. "It's showtime!" he said to no one in particular as he took a deep breath, unwound, and stood.

**~.oOo.~**

Crawford's huge dance space was dark and bare. A bench off stage left was framed by two pale pools of light created by two 'specials'-spotlights aimed down at the floor from overhead. Melissa sat on the bench. Projectors in the ceiling threw faint outlines of trees on the walls. Bare chords on a piano sounded with someone singing slowly in the background.

_Entwined  
__All that we are is defined  
__By each others shipwrecked hearts  
__And I shiver to think  
__What would have been if I wouldn't have seen you in time…  
__Would we pass by?_

Jeff appeared stage right, walking along and saw Melissa burst into tears. He offered her a handkerchief. He sat, they mimed talking, then stood and started to dance very slowly with her, a mix of partnered ballet pas de deux variations. She stood en-point, back leg up, he supported her middle. She spun on the straight leg while Jeff held one hand overhead. _Straight out of Swan Lake_, thought Mike.

_All that you are is mine  
__Your divine imperfections color the dark  
__And I shiver to see  
__How strong you are when the world's such a cruel place to be…  
__Then you set me free…_

Their dance became more and more intimate, sensual, and flowing. More modern jazz and contemporary dance. They sat on the floor miming a picnic which turned into rolling around and touching. They rolled away and sat on the bench. He knelt holding her hand with the other hand out offering something. She embraced him. They stood and flowed around each other like water on the floor and in standing. Mike was very aware of the obvious strength and control it took to do some of these slower contemporary moves so effortlessly.

_Let's walk the tightrope together  
__Without a safety net…  
__And when we fall  
__And we will fall  
__Let's fall forever…  
__Entwined_

They sat on the bench, Jeff cuddled Melissa from behind. She mimed rocking a wrapped baby back and forth in her arms. Jeff reached around and kissed her.

_Like parachutes and air balloons  
__Or satellites and lonely moons  
__We'd still be drifting far apart  
__But thank the stars we are we are  
__Entwined…  
__Entwined…_

Jeff stood and moved back toward his entrance from the 'wings' stage right. Melissa rearranged herself sitting on the bench, the pretend-baby gone. They froze for about 5 seconds, then Jeff walked by, noticed Melissa breaking down. He handed her the handkerchief, just as before. Except this time, when she handed it back to him, he shook his head, waving her hand away, and walked offstage. The music faded and the lights came up. Jeff and Melissa came out on stage, joined hands, and bowed smiling. The applause is very loud.

_Very nice. _thought Mike. _Though not an exceptionally challenging dance. Shows her skills off more than his._ Mike stands to applaud along with Uncle Ted, Carol, Blaine, and Nick. A few others join them. Jeff and Melissa smiled and bowed again. They exited stage right and the applause died down.

"Jeff is a very gifted dancer" said Carol. Ted and Nick nodded grinning.

The lights faded to leave a large pool of light on the floor. Kurt and an accompanist came through the main entrance on the left and stood by the practice piano. Jeff and Cindy entered from the right and sat on the bench. Jeff was still wearing the black jazz pants but had changed into a white dance top. Cindy was wearing a white unitard.

The piano introduction to **Defying Gravity** began and Kurt started to sing.

_Something has changed within me  
__Something is not the same  
__I'm through with playing by the rules  
__Of someone else's game_

_Damn. Why didn't he sing like that in Glee? _thought Mike. _Because this for Jeff._

Cindy began to gesture animatedly, trying to make some sort of point. Jeff sat there looking downcast, his shoulders slumped and not looking at her. They stood and began to move together to the music, a tender pairing with sad edges.

_Too late for second-guessing  
__Too late to go back to sleep  
__It's time to trust my instincts  
__Close my eyes: and leap!_

Cindy stood on the bench and jumped out into space. The audience, Mike included, held their breath as Jeff caught her effortlessly, using her momentum to spin them around and hoist her up onto his shoulders then set her down gently. They held each other tenderly, then separated. _Interpretive dance rather than fixed choreography._ thought Mike. The jump off the bench was something straight out of the Sue Sylvester Insane Cheers Playbook. It was a set point, used to mark a place in the dance that each dancer used to coordinate so that they didn't look like they were both off doing their own thing.

Cindy's head was on Jeff's shoulder as he comforted her and they did a slow dance. She spun away from Jeff in a tight 'chaines' or traveling spin and began dancing on her own. _Escape._ thought Mike.

_Too long I've been afraid of  
__Losing love I guess I've lost  
__Well, if that's love  
__It comes at much too high a cost!_

Jeff began dancing off to the side, sometimes mirroring what Cindy was doing. Sometimes he did something different. Jeff wiped his eyes every so often. _A breakup._ thought Mike.

_It's time to try defying gravity  
__I think I'll try defying gravity  
__Kiss me goodbye, I'm defying gravity  
__And you can't pull me down!_

Jeff looked around, saw Cindy, and approached her. They held each other during the final verse. Kurt sang the high F effortlessly as Cindy spun away. She stopped, looked over her shoulder, and exited the stage. As Kurt sang the final three notes, Jeff reached out for Cindy, but she's gone. The stage went dark.

_And you won't bring me down  
__Bring me down…ahhh_

The lights came up. There was a 5 second pause before someone started clapping. Jeff and Cindy stood on stage, their hands clasped. _They're stunned._ thought Jeff as he grinned. Then the audience took their collective breath as a few people started to applaud. And the applause grew and grew. Jeff and Cindy raised their hands and bowed. The applause grew louder. Jeff let go of Cindy's hand and pulled Kurt onto the stage. People started standing and shouting. Mike, Blaine, Nick, Carol, and Ted were among them. Kurt grinned and bowed one more time with Jeff and Cindy. Kurt squeezed Jeff's hand and held it as all three filed off stage.

Two stage hands came in and moved a dance bar that was snug against a wall until it's out in its practice position. They moved off stage and the lights dimmed to a pool of light in front of the dance bar. One projector displayed a picture of a lone choristry window framing a clear, blue sky on the opposite wall. Piano chords in minor key played with someone singing. _That's Jeff._ thought Mike. _He sang the other number too._

Jeff stepped on stage into the pool of light and began to stretch against the barre, then did simple barre practice exercises. Ones that any ballet dancer would do every day.

_Tell me where?  
__Where is it written and what is meant to be  
__That I can dare…  
__It all began the day I found  
__That from my window I could only see a piece of sky  
__I stepped outside and looked around  
__I never dreamed it was so wide or even half as high_

The lights came up and the single window faded out. The projectors dissolved to a view of the wooded grounds on Dalton's campus. Then they dissolved into views of Dalton's main fountain and driveway. Jeff spun away from the barre in a chaines and stopped in front of the fountain. He knelt, threw his hands up, and his head back. Then moved and flowed with the music abandoning any sort of 'steps'.

_The time had come. Papa, can you hear me?  
__To try my wings. Papa, are you near me?  
__And even though it seemed at any moment I could fall  
__I felt the most. Papa, can you see me?  
__Amazing things. Can you understand me?_

Mike knew from his own dance experience that Jeff just _dancing, __being__ the music_ instead of doing a 'bunch of steps'. That was when he realized the difference between Rachel's singing and Kurt's. Rachel was 'trying to do it right'. Kurt just sang with his heart and soul. And Jeff was dancing from his soul. Mike could feel it.

_The things you can't imagine if you've never flown at all  
__Though it's safer to stay on the ground  
__Sometimes where danger lies_

The scene dissolved into a closer view of the fountain. Kurt sat on the rim with a picnic basket open and two place settings with food. He grinned at the camera.

_Oh, tell me where  
__Where is this someone who will turn to look at me  
__And want to share  
__My every sweet-imagined possibility_

The scene dissolved back to the studio. Six choristry windows showing blue sky. The lights came up just enough to make the studio appear bright and airy. Three specials created pools of light on the floor.

_The more I live, the more I learn  
__The more I learn, the more I realize  
__The less I know  
__Each step I take, Papa, I've a voice now  
__Each page I turn, Papa, I've a choice now  
__Each mile I travel only means the more I have to go  
__What's wrong with wanting more?_

Jeff spun in a tight chaines to stage left, did two running leaps and seemed to float in the air. He landed, faced the audience, bent back and reached up with one hand in a flourish with his back leg extended.

_If you can fly then soar  
__With all there is, why settle for  
__Just a piece of sky?_

Another leap to midstage, another flourish with one hand reaching up, and his face looking up to the ceiling with the biggest smile on his face. Jeff faced the audience and began to do pirouettes, spinning on one foot like an ice skater.

_Papa, I can hear you  
__Papa, I can see you  
__Papa, I can feel you  
__Papa, Watch me fly!_

Mike counted the spins, out of habit. On the 18th, Jeff stepped back in a final flourish, hand in the air, there was a crash of chords and the music ended. Jeff stood there for a few seconds, panting, lowered his head to face the audience, then bowed. The smile never left his face.

Mike, Blaine, and Nick were on their feet, applauding and yelling "Bravo!". So were many others in the audience. Now Mike understood Jeff's little 'dedication' in the program notes.

Jeff was dancing for Kurt. For his Muse.

**~.oOo.~**

A/N: The idea of Kurt's mom calling him a little piggy because he raided the cookie jar was just to good. I borrowed that from Keitorin Ashmore's Tumble #75. You should read ALL her stuff. Seriously.

I don't know why the dance part of this took me for-freaking-ever. I asked multiple dancers about choreographed vs. interpretive dance before I got enough information to be able to write what I envisioned. Even so, I'm not a dancer, so I made most of what I saw up in my head. If I could have actually seen someone dance to the songs I picked, I'm sure it would have been better than what I wrote about.

chaines is pronounced shan-aye

Masquerade Ballet: www . youtube . com (slash) watch?v=FyoacP0arNMwatch (remove spaces and add protocol)


	16. Audition

**A/N: I know I've been terrible about updating this fic. Yes, I'm still writing it. For reasons that will become apparent when you read it, I hit some stuff to work through. But I pushed through it. That's why this is so long. Discussion at the end.**

**I've got some ideas from other authors. If you see something that was in your story, it may very well be. Thanks in advance.**

**Secret Admirer / Ch. 16 - Auditions**

Author: TerribleSpy

Rating: T+

Characters: Kurt, Jeff (no KLAINE, sorry)

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee. I just want to play in that universe.

**~.oOo.~**

It was 7pm when the SuperShuttle van pulled up in front of a Retro style house. It was at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac in Palo Alto. To Kurt's body clock, it was 10pm Ohio-time and he hadn't really had dinner. There was that salad in Chicago at 3pm. And a pathetic $8 in-flight 'snack plate' loaded with junk rather than anything heathy. He'd given most of it to Jeff. His stomach grumbled. Jeff had shared most of his trail mix but it wasn't enough. And his phone died halfway through the flight leaving him without music.

Jeff let them into the house and disarmed the alarm system from a keypad by the door to the carport. _No carports in Ohio._ thought Kurt. Jeff flipped on the lights in an impressive galley-style kitchen. _How did he get a Viking range done in 50's style? Thank god it's not avocado green._ thought Kurt. The fridge was mostly empty. It had been cleaned out before he took that red-eye to Ohio three months ago.

The 'mid-Century Modern' theme continued throughout the house. Kurt was fascinated at the little decorating touches-creme-colored bead board walls, open-rafter ceilings with the same bead board, laminate flooring, a mix of contemporary and period furniture, rugs, and Art Deco posters.

_Was that a real Eames chair?_ Kurt was sure in the daytime, this home was a showplace. Yet, it still looked lived in.

"It's an 'Eichler'. A local developer in the 1950s built a bunch of houses in the area." said Jeff. "Jason grew up here and inherited it after his mom and dad died. He and Uncle Ted fixed it up, putting a lot of money into modernizing it. Now it's Uncle Ted's."

"There's a small market just around the corner. Fancy something light before we turn in?" asked Jeff.

"Oh, yes. I'm starving." said Kurt as they left their stuff in the spare bedroom. Jeff grabbed a cloth grocery bag with **GOD HATES BAGS** printed on it from a peg by the front door and they walked to the market.

"Where did Uncle Ted get _that_?" asked Kurt pointing to the cloth bag. Kurt hated the Westboro Community church for all the vile homophobic crap they spewed and their picketing of funerals.

"He sent me a link a while ago, but I didn't think it would go over very well in the Westerville Walmart." replied Jeff. "Be careful when you walk behind a car, especially in a parking lot. There are a lot of hybrids here. They're mostly silent and the drivers aren't always paying attention when they pull out. I've almost been hit a couple times. Who'd a thought a Whole Foods parking lot could be so dangerous?"

Milk, a half-dozen eggs, various cheeses, sliced Black Forest ham, Water Crackers. And a couple bagels, and cottage cheese & pineapple cups for breakfast. Kurt insisted on a bag of baby carrots and pre-cut celery from the immaculate produce section. And Jeff found a small, TSA-friendly-sized tube of hair gel in the Health and Beauty isle. It had not been a pretty site, seeing TSA make Kurt toss his hairspray at Columbus International Airport.

"Coffee?" asked Kurt, making a face at the lack of selection. There were multiple shelves of whole gourmet beans and a do-it-yourself grinder, but only a single shelf of Yuban and Folgers in cans and jars of Taster's Choice Instant.

"There's a Peet's a couple doors down. Their Major Dickerson's Blend is what I give you when you're at my house." said Jeff. "We'll stop there before the audition."

On the way to the checkout line, they went through the cookie isle. Jeff stopped and pulled a box from the shelf.

"Do you want to get this for Rachel?" he said as he handed the box of Vegan Animal Crackers to Kurt.

"Oh my. I'll make a card that says 'Greetings from not so sunny California.' with a picture of the fogged-in Golden Gate." Kurt replied with a grin. "But I doubt she'll get the joke."

They paid at the checkout. It was busy with the after-work crowd picking up last minute things for Friday-night dinner. A clerk smiled and noted the grocery bag. "Where's Ted? I haven't seen him for weeks. Is he OK?" he asked.

"He's just fine…Mark." replied Jeff, reading the clerk's name tag. "He's taking care of his sister. She had a stroke."

"I'm sorry to hear that. When you talk to him, tell him we all miss him." said the checker.

"I'll be sure to let him know you asked after him." said Jeff with little smile. He winked at the clerk. Mark smiled back, his cheeks flushing slightly. _Go Uncle Ted!_ Jeff thought.

"You're terrible." said Kurt as they walked back to the house.

"This coming from the guy who setup his dad with his crush's mom?" said Jeff playfully.

His phone went off as they were walking back into the house.

"Hi, Uncle Owen…yeah, we just got in…a little trip to the market for a late supper and breakfast tomorrow. Dinner?" Kurt's face fell. Jeff noticed and continued "I think we're just going to eat here then get some sleep…we're kinda beat…can we do an early dinner tomorrow afternoon?…Great…Love you…G'night." Jeff smiled as he ended the call.

They got back to the house and Jeff put a pan on the stove with some water and bicarbonate of soda to boil with 2 of the eggs. "What? It makes them easier to peel." said Jeff to Kurt's raised eyebrow.

Jeff boiled some more water for tea, sliced up the block of sharp cheddar, and laid it out with ham slices. He drained the hardboiled eggs and ran cold water over them. He set their 'snack' out on a plate with the Water crackers with a bottle of Asian Miso dressing from the fridge for the carrots and celery. Jeff clearly knew his way around Uncle Ted's kitchen.

"Do you think the Laughing Cow giggles when you peel the coating off these cheeses?" said Jeff as he pulled the red wax off the bite-sized cheese and popped it in his mouth. Kurt rolled his eyes.

As they were eating, Jeff felt the tension in his shoulders slowly relax. It had been there since the hairspray incident with TSA. All during the trip there were times that Kurt seemed like another person. More like a cranky 5-year-old who wasn't getting his way. He even sounding like one. Jeff did his best to distract and engage 'whiney' Kurt as best he could and that had worked. Now Kurt was back to the perfectly normal teenage diva fashionista that he'd come to love. _Maybe I'll call Burt for advice._ he thought.

"This dressing is good. I'll try and get it for dad." said Kurt. "And we're going to have to try making paella sometime this summer. I tried when I was 9. It was really, really complicated."

"You can count on it. The seafood here is phenomenal." said Jeff with a huge grin. He leaned over and kissed Kurt on the lips. "My sous-chef."

"Playing 'restaurant' with you will be fun. That kitchen is impressive." said Kurt grinning back. They ate quickly talking about tomorrow's audition and dinner plans. They were distinctly trying not to think of final exams. Neither of them would have done this trip if they weren't confident about their first final that awaited them on Monday morning. Kurt had it the worst with four finals through the week, one each day. Jeff had taken mostly AP classes and already taken and passed the tests. He only had a couple finals. Both Kurt and Jeff shared classes with a couple Warblers in each, so everyone was going to study together next week.

They got ready for bed. Kurt stretched and yawned after his moisturizing regime. It was past his usual bedtime. Jeff was reading sitting up in bed, a pair of Hipster tortoise-shell readers perched on his nose. _Utterly adorkable_, thought Kurt.

Even though he was tired, Kurt found he had enough energy to harass Jeff.

"Hi there." Kurt said as he smiled and crawled onto the bed, straddling Jeff's legs. Putting the book aside, Jeff pulled Kurt into a kiss. As the kissing became more heated, Jeff's cute hipster glasses started to fog. Jeff's right hand grabbed Kurt's butt, pulling his hips closer and he let out a little moan. _Are we finally going to do more than kiss?_ thought Kurt.

Jeff's left hand hiked up the back of Kurt's t-shirt and moved up his spine. It made Kurt shiver. Their hips ground together. This time Kurt moaned. Jeff moved to kissing down Kurt's collarbone, taking care not to do anything that might show tomorrow. Kurt didn't seem to think of that and started sucking on a spot underneath Jeff's ear. Jeff groaned and pulled back.

"Sorry. Sorry. I always seem to be the killjoy. But if your father asks me 'Did you guys have sex?', I can't lie to him. Right now, I can say 'we thought about it-a lot-mostly in separate rooms with bottles of lotion and Kleenex.'" Jeff winked as Kurt flushed. "I'd much rather delay any sort of actual gratification, so that we might continue the fun as we drive across country."

Kurt sighed and twisted to lay beside Jeff.

"I didn't get a chance to thank you for letting me use your phone to watch videos during the flight." said Kurt nestling his head on Jeff's shoulder. "My battery isn't what it used to be."

_So embarrassing. Going through someone's phone. Judging him. _thought Jeff. _He's thinking I'm weird or crazy. Or both. If he doesn't already._

"Who knew Benedict Cumberbatch as a modern gay Sherlock would be so hot and snarky? Now I have to watch the other episodes." said Kurt.

He paused and frowned. "Doesn't it bother you when I talk about other guys?"

"Some would argue that Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock wasn't gay, just British. And he's not just some other guy. He's a celebrity man crush. What's wrong with you nibbling on one ear and I'll nibble on the other?" said Jeff grinning matter-of-factly.

"You're evil." Kurt said turned pink as he giggled at the thought.

"This is news? Don't tell me you haven't thought about Channing Tatum or Taylor Lautner or Zac Efron. Before they pudge out. Chocolate syrup might be involved. Drizzled all over. Maybe even handcuffs." said Jeff softly into Kurt's ear.

Kurt hide his face in Jeff shoulder. He was thinking of his bucket list. The one he hadn't shown to Jeff just yet.

"Now if it was Sam, I'd have a problem. I'd at least expect you to share." said Jeff. "I think we've found our own version of the locker room game 'Who would you do?' We have to play this game with Blaine and Trent."

"Don't you dare." huffed Kurt.

"I thought you liked chocolate syrup." teased Jeff.

**~.oOo.~**

"I can't believe _that's_ what you're wearing." said Kurt as they stood in line at the local Peet's Coffee & Tea. "_And_, I can't believe you talked me into wearing this." Kurt glanced down at his own t-shirt, borrowed from Uncle Ted's collection with hasty permission.

"What? I'm 'Math Boy'." said Jeff as he looked down at his black t-shirt which said "2+2=5, for very large values of 2" in white lettering.

Jeff smiled admiringly at Kurt's white **Absolutely Fabulous** t-shirt with Patsy and Edina silk screened in black and red across the front.

**We Can Do It-Join The Rebel Alliance Today** (with Princess Leia as Rosie the Riveter from the 1940s), **But'cha Are, Blanche, Ya Are** (with a picture of an empty wheelchair in the background), **Veni, Vidi, VISA-We Came, We Saw, We Shopped** (the lettering superimposed over a large VISA card), and a drawing of **Curious George** passed out in front of an open bottle of ether-Kurt had vetoed all of these. He had had to look up the quote from the movie **What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?** and added it to his Netflix queue. But he didn't want to be referred to as Blanche all summer. The shopping t-shirt had almost won, but Patsy and Edina had prevailed.

"Why? Your t-shirt is perfect. I think you will stand out amongst all the other guys. You're 'Fabulous Boy'. Especially with that hair." said Jeff with a big smile. "You'll thank me later for not spending to much time on it. You look really hot in 'bed head' with just a little gel." Kurt smiled as they snaked closer to the counter. _It's nice to hear him say such things._

Black jazz pants, black & white All Stars, AbFab t-shirt, and a white Dalton hoodie. _It's not an outfit, really, without the D&G sunglasses and attitude to tie it all together._ thought Kurt. Jeff was much the same with his black **Live Long and Prosper** hoodie and aqua RayBans.

The man in front of them finished paying and the boys stepped forward as the barista smiled at them.

"Jeff! Oh my god, you're back. How are you?" asked 'Terri', according to her name tag. Kurt's eyebrow went up questioningly. "And just who, may I ask, is this fetching young man with you?"

"Uhm…Yeah…Terri. Hi. We're here just for today to audition for **Cats** but both Kurt and I will be back after finals for the summer. Oh, and this is Kurt, my boyfriend. Kurt, this is Terri." said Jeff.

She leaned forward and stage-whispered to Kurt "I approve of your taste in men. It's about time someone tapped this one." she said with her eyes looking sideways to Jeff, who was turning red. Kurt snickered.

"Thank you…I think. Not to be rude but we're in a rush. So, I'll have a grande non-fat mocha, no whip. Jeff will have a large Earl Grey with room for milk." said Kurt assertively.

"Coming right up. And all that grande stuff is Starbucks talk. I'll get you a 'large'. That will be $6.05." she said. "He knows your tea order." she said to Jeff winking. His blush deepened as he pulled out his wallet.

"You snooze. You loose." grinned Kurt as he waved his debit card over the point-of-sale reader and stuffed the printed receipt into his wallet.

Neither Kurt nor Jeff noticed a short, chunky, black boy about their age watching this display with interest behind them in the line. _Ah. Family!_ the boy thought smiling.

**~.oOo.~**

Kurt wandered over to the community center's auditorium. He'd just gotten out of his hour-long 'class'. His hair was a mess, but he'd managed to clean it up with the help of some water to reactivate the gel and a brush. He wanted to look his best for the singing audition. Singing **Happy Birthday** to the registration person had better not be all he had to do. At least he'd made it interesting by doing it in French.

He found Jeff sitting outside chatting with another boy hastily eating his cottage cheese. _Good idea._ Kurt thought. Two poached eggs, a ham slice, and bagel wasn't enough breakfast. _It's way more than I eat and I'm hungry again. Is this what it's like for Finn?_ He shivered thinking about the sheer amount of food his step-brother consumed daily.

"My favorite line was 'Lots of planets have a north'." said Jeff grinning. He discarded the empty plastic cup and spoon and folded his arms like Christopher Eccleston in his premiere Doctor Who episode.

The other boy laughed. He was wearing a navy t-shirt with a small Police Box drawn in white and the caption "Keep Calm And Always Take A Banana To A Party." in white letters. Otherwise he as dressed much as Kurt and Jeff were. "What about when Captain Jack complains that dinner and a movie are to much work and the Doctor smiles and says 'Worth it!'"

"I don't care what Matt Smith says, bow ties and fez's are not cool." Kurt said indignantly. "But after seeing Amy Pond haul him across the town square by his tie, I can see why he'd switch." Both Jeff and the boy turned to face Kurt grinning. Jeff had been showing him selected Doctor Who episodes. So far, the one with the moving statues was his favorite. But Jeff had given up trying to explain 'quantum locked'.

"Hey, babe. How'd it go?" he asked as he hugged Kurt and kissed him on the cheek. Kurt's eyes darted around to see who was looking.

Jeff felt Kurt's spine tense up. "Relax. Last year, I was walking down University Avenue to the Apple Store and these two girls were walking ahead of me, holding hands. No one paid any attention. Besides, Alex here is 'family'."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Kurt." he said smiling and shaking the boy's hand. "And as to dance class, I kept up. I don't think I could have if we hadn't done our little rehearsals." Kurt exhaled with a sigh.

"I'm sure you did great." said Jeff.

"Your boyfriend here helped a bunch of us out at the break." said Alex. "He did a little 'mini-class' to help those of us who were struggling keep up. It made all the difference. What's that Jewish saying? A mensch."

Jeff grinned turning pink. "What do you know from mensch?"

"I play cello in our school orchestra. Dr. Schwartzkoff is always telling us to play with with more 'schmultz'." Jeff gestured as if to say 'how does that answer my question?' "I did him a big favor carrying some instruments to his car which was up-hill. He called me a mensch." Jeff smiled and nodded.

Alex continued. "I saw you two in line at Peet's this morning. It was to cute how flustered Jeff got when that barista teased him."

Kurt chuckled as Jeff huffed. "So, Alex. What's your range?"

"I'm a counter-tenor." he replied.

"Me, too." said Kurt somewhat awkwardly. They both knew they were going after the same part.

"I'm also starving." said Kurt, reaching into his bag for his cottage cheese cup. Jeff pulled out an extra plastic-wrapped spork from his bag. Kurt looked at him.

"What? You never know when you'll need napkins or utensils when you travel." Jeff said somewhat embarrassed. "You should eat. Dance class is harder than you think. No more 'non-fat mocha and toast' for breakfast if we get cast."

"I'm beginning to realize that." said Kurt as he sat down and dug into the cottage cheese.

"I'm kinda nervous about this audition." admitted Kurt. "New Directions wasn't really an audition. Everyone got in. And I was already a Warbler when I auditioned for my solo. What if I don't get this? What can I do here while you're rehearsing or working for Uncle Ted? Maybe I can work in that market or in the garage across the street." said Kurt.

"What are Nude Erections and Warblers?" asked Alex.

Kurt pursed his lips as Jeff snickered.

"Jeff and I are in a show choir back in Ohio. The _New Directions_," said Kurt with exaggerated enunciation "was my glee club at my old school. The Warblers are the choir at our school."

Alex's eyes sparkled as he smiled. "Relax. I was just messing with you. I take it neither of you have done theater before?" Jeff shook his head.

"We were going to do **Rocky Horror Picture Show** at my old school last year, but the parents objected." admitted Kurt loftily. "And no, I wasn't Frankenfürter. They cast my best friend Mercedes. She looked hot in that costume." Jeff's eyebrows went up but he didn't say anything.

"I go to St. Ignatius, the Jesuit high school up in the City." said Alex. "They offer traditional choir, dance, theater, and orchestra. I'm not a dancer and I'm only so-so on the cello. The theater department is good but they tend to do stuff with a message like **Godspell** or **Jesus Christ, Superstar**"

"Do they leave you alone?" asked Kurt.

Alex nodded, knowing full well what Kurt meant. "I'm just another student."

_That was the way it was supposed to be._ thought Kurt.

"I take it you've had problems with bullies." asked Alex and Kurt nodded.

"My school is stricter than public school. No fighting or 'non-Christian' behavior. Kinda weird if you think about the rest of the country and how they treat gay kids. But I'm safe. There's a stricter dress code than public school, but no uniform. I think you can actually wear sandals and shorts during summer session. Although that would be really stupid up in the City with the fog." said Alex.

"'The City'?" asked Kurt adding the air quotes as Jeff smiled.

"San Francisco. Do not, under any circumstances, call it 'Frisco'." said Alex raising an eyebrow. "San Jose is just San Jose. And it's your problem if you don't know the way." He grinned and turned to Jeff. "You should get him to read **Tales of the City**. I giggle every time I imagine the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence in their nun outfits rollerblading down a hill."

"We'll listen to it when we drive here from Ohio. We fly back for finals tomorrow." said Jeff with a grin.

One of the registration people came out of the auditorium and posted a sheet of paper on the door. There were two lists of numbers, corresponding to the name tags they had all gotten when they registered. Alex, Jeff, and Kurt were to report here for the rest of the audition in five minutes. Another list of numbers had to report to Room 3.

"Rocky Horror? Why am I just hearing about this?" said Jeff with a huge grin. "Were you Rocky? In a gold lamé Speedo?" Kurt gave him a look and nudged his shoulder. He finished his cottage cheese and they all stood to go into the auditorium.

Jeff held the door for Kurt and Alex. "Definitely a mensch." said Alex as he walked past Jeff.

**~.oOo.~**

They found seats off the isle in the middle of the center section. A few minutes later three girls sat behind them and started yammering away about the audition. Kurt listened to their conversation with half an ear. _Great. They sound just like Rachel._ he thought.

Except for one thing. They weren't talking about how much talent they had or what solos they'd gotten. They were talking about the various directors they'd worked with and what they learned from them. _That's different. _thought Kurt.

A slim man with gray hair and a goatee walked up slowly on stage and introduced himself as William, the director. He welcomed everyone and explained the next part of the audition process.

"With over 60 people to see today, we have to keep things moving. Please limit your song selection to 1 minute. We _will_ stop you at the end." he said. "We'll post a callback list outside at 1pm today. Callbacks are at 2pm sharp. Do not be late."

"And yes, I'm sorry to have to say this since common sense would tell you that all your cell phones should be on silent or OFF." said William.

"But then, Mark Twain said that common sense isn't all that common. Now, let's get this thing started." And he left the stage.

Kurt, Jeff, and Alex settled in for a long wait. Out of common courtesy, they all listened to the performers as their turns came. Kurt noticed the girls behind him had earbuds in and music players out. They were mouthing along with whatever they were listening to and reading the lyrics on the tiny screens.

The boys sat through about 12 singers, including two of the girls behind them, who somehow managed to hear their names being called. Both girls sang **Memory**, which Kurt rather dismissively thought of as "Uninspiring." and "Meh." respectively.

"I thought you weren't supposed to sing something from the musical." said Kurt. Jeff just shrugged.

The director called Jeff's name. Jeff took a deep breath, stood, and walked up through the auditorium. He pulled out his phone to cue the music for his song. He managed to time the short intro's whistle and guitar just right as he climbed the stairs and walked to center stage. He went right into the song without any introduction.

Jeff didn't just sing **Moves Like Jagger**, he moved like Jagger. Rolling his hips seductively, hands overhead, and thrusting in a way that Kurt had never seen him do before. It was a cross between sexy and slutty. Kurt couldn't stop staring, his mouth open ever so slightly.

"Ooohh. Who's the hottie?" Kurt heard one of the girls behind him say. He looked at Alex and stifled a giggle.

Jeff ended with a tight moving spin across the stage just as William called "Time". He grinned and bowed.

"OK then. Thank you very much." said Ricard over the PA system. Jeff returned to his seat, disabling the speakers on his phone so the next person could use them.

"You're not allowed to dance like that in public ever again." said Kurt semi-seriously in Jeff's ear. "Unless. You do it for me. In private. In those red Fruit-of-the-Looms. Or that dance-belt. With the tail."

Jeff snorted and whispered. "Oh-kay. But I get to see you in those gold lamé Speedos."

"There never were any gold lamé Speedos." Kurt said quietly through clenched teeth.

"If you say so." said Jeff. He took out his phone and started typing a text.

Five more singers auditioned and, the last of three girls performed **Memory** yet again. Kurt mentally began referred to them as "Stacy", "Lacie", and "Macy" since he didn't remember their names. This last version also missed the mark. "Macy" returned to her seat to pick up her stuff and all three girls left together.

William called Kurt's name and his heart skipped. "Go get 'em, Tiger." whispered Jeff as he squeezed Kurt's knee. Kurt stood and moved through the auditorium in a daze. He walked up the stairs to the stage, and handed the AV person a CD. He didn't trust his phone's dying battery.

The music started and Kurt went into a short version of **Le Jazz Hot**. The slow, sultry introduction allowed Kurt to saunter around the stage.

Then he skipped to the last verse to show off his range. He slowly brought up his hands until they were overhead during the vocal climax as his voice rose higher and higher and higher. _Take that, Blaine._ he thought recalling his failed Warbler audition.

Kurt bowed and left the stage, heading back to his seat. Alex was grinning. "OK, I'll have to bring out Plan 9." he said as he rooted around in his bag for another set of sheet music.

Jeff giggled and mimed wearing an imaginary cape across his nose and mouth with one arm, the other held out in front to 'hypnotize' his supposed victim, like Bela Legosi's final performance in **Plan 9 from Outer Space**. This, in turn, made Alex giggle.

"You two need to sit apart." said Kurt rolling his eyes. "Honestly, you both are worse than Sam."

Jeff gave Kurt a hug. "Yep. Fabulous Boy. That's who I'm dating." and kissed him on the cheek.

Jeff took out his phone, unlocked it, and looked at the display. His eyebrows went up. To Alex, Jeff said "Sam is one of Kurt's friends from New Directions and the only guy I know who can speak N'avi. And apparently, a most impressive Rocky." He showed the picture to Alex who started fanning himself. Kurt huffed and crossed his arms.

Alex's name was called. The boy took a deep breath and looked like he was going to throw up. Kurt reached over and squeezed his knee. "Time for Plan 9." he said grinning. Alex nodded and stood. "Would you please record this on your phone for me?" asked Alex. Jeff nodded, his phone already out.

Alex moved through the auditorium to the stage. As he started walking up the stairs, Jeff noticed a change. The boy's posture straightened. Instead of slumping, he walked to the accompanist with his head up and his shoulders back and a new air of confidence. Alex gave the pianist some sheet music and pointed to a starting point. The woman at the piano smiled and nodded. Alex moved to the center of the stage and wrapped his sweater across his shoulders like a shawl. The pianist started a broken arpeggio introduction to **I Will Survive**.

Alex frowned as if he was angry, pointing to someone off stage as if he was telling them off. He sang with such anger and passion, like the betrayal had happened to him. _I don't want to piss him off_, thought Kurt. The song progressed into the belting anthem that was all Gloria Gaynor had made it. Alex didn't seem like he was Alex, but someone else.

As he finished, Kurt thought _Plan 9, huh? He's seriously owned that song._

"You are amazing." said Kurt pulling Alex into a hug as he sat down.

The boys stood to leave quietly as the next person was called to the stage. Kurt recognized her from his dance class. She'd been pretty good, picking up the routine quickly and and keeping up with the rest of the class. She spoke to the accompanist, who nodded, then stood center stage as the piano introduction to **Blackbird** began.

Kurt froze. Her voice was clear and crystalline, with just the right phrasing to bring out the song. Her voice brought a joy that Kurt didn't-in fact-couldn't share.

Jeff heard the song and noticed Kurt's reaction, even from behind. _Uh oh. This is not good._ he thought.

**~.oOo.~**

_Jeff and Blaine stood behind Kurt as he finished digging a shallow grave at the foot of an oak tree-the tree he could see from his dorm window. He hoped Pavarotti would like it. He'd spent so many afternoons at Kurt's window with a view of that tree through the bars of his cage._

_A small Lucite box from a local craft store held Pavarotti's body. Kurt had taken a whole weekend to bedazzle it himself. It all seemed so senseless. One minute Kurt was singing along with the little guy and the next, the bird lay dead at the bottom of his cage._

_"I know it's really stupid to be upset about a bird, but Pavarotti was my friend. He inspired me with his optimism and his love of song. This song is for him." said Kurt holding back tears._

_Jeff started playing the simple introduction to __**Blackbird**__ on his guitar. Kurt sang and the the tears finally came, slowly streaming down his face. The two other boys joined in with accents and background vocals, but it was Kurt's moment-his grief to work through._

_"I know this upsets you, Kurt. It's like your mother's funeral." said Blaine, oblivious to Jeff's glare. "Wasn't that her favorite song?"_

_"Her casket was bigger." said Kurt as he smiled weakly._

_Kurt can be such a master at the snarky deflection. thought Jeff._

**~.oOo.~**

"What's goin' on?" asked Jeff as they stopped at a bus stop on the way back to the house. Jeff's callback audition went so well; he was boiling over with excitement, mentally doing a happy dance. Both of them had done well. _He so nailed it. Why is he so upset?_ though Jeff.

"I feel like I cheated." said Kurt in a subdued voice.

"Huh? How could you cheat?" asked Jeff. "Well, short of using Jedi mind tricks on the director."

Kurt smiled weakly. "You know how **Blackbird** affects me. I used my feelings from that song to change my performance."

"That's not cheating. That's acting. Jody Foster talked about a 'sense memory' anchor as an acting tool when she was on **Inside the Actor's Studio**." countered Jeff.

Kurt's eyebrow went up. "You were watching an interview with Jodie Foster?"

"Well…Robin Williams' two-hour interview may have been next." replied Jeff. "Anyway, how is using something painful in your life to access that emotion on-stage cheating? I was crying. Mostly because I knew what **Blackbird** meant to you. And I also regretted that my dad wasn't there to see me doing this. And to meet you. That's what **Memory** is about-regret. Babe, you knocked it out of the park."

"Really? You felt all that?" asked Kurt surprised.

Jeff nodded, smiling. "I swear on my Zefron poster." Jeff put his right hand over his heart. Kurt laughed as Jeff's phone buzzed with a text.

"Thank you. That really helped." said Kurt as he turned and gave Jeff a hug. "And for putting up with me this whole trip. I know I haven't been my usual fluffy self."

"I hadn't noticed." said Jeff into Kurt's artfully rumpled hair.

"Liar." replied Kurt. "It's OK. I get like that sometimes. You even did some of the things that dad used to do when I did. But I'm back now."

Jeff pulled out his phone and looked at the text.

**Your mom and I made it to palo alto OK. She's fine. Bbq for dinner? /ted**

Jeff's eyes widened and he showed it to Kurt.

"Barbecue sounds yummy. There really isn't a good place in Lima." said Kurt.

**~.oOo.~**

_Ted watched Rose struggle. It had only been a day since he'd checked her out of the hospital. And already he saw her mouth set in a thin line of determination. He'd purposely told Lucy to give her space and offer help if she needed it. Rose was pretty good about that, so he figured if something was to much for her, she'd speak up. Finally after trying to dress herself by balancing on one foot and putting on pants while holding onto her cane, she called Lucy for help. I suppose sitting down didn't occur to her. thought Ted._

_The next day he'd dropped Lucy at school, then sat down with Rose and a bag of scones and other goodies from her favorite bakery._

_"So, sis. How are you holding up?" he asked over a cup of tea._

_"I've been better." she admitted. "I didn't know it would be so…hard."_

_"Yeah. It reminds me of what mom went through with Nana…only it's you." said Ted, reaching out for her hand. "You know, if I could change any of this…and give you back your life…I'd do it in a microsecond."_

_Rose nodded. She had realized lying in that hospital bed that the life she knew was pretty much over. In between the poking, prodding, and tests, she'd come to accept that. She just didn't realize how hard it would be for everyone else. In some ways, it was worse than Alan's death because she was still here. And they'd have to take care of her. She hated the idea of being a burden to her children. Her mother had done enough of that to her and she wanted to spare her kids that pain._

_"So now what?" she asked._

_Ted explained the legal stuff he'd done for Jeff and Lucy. And his analysis of the finances. And he admitted that he'd looked into renting out the house. Or selling it. He felt like he was giving up on her by admitting that._

_She nodded. "So, do you want some help in sorting out what we're going to sell and what we'll take to Palo Alto?"_

_Sell. he thought. Not store. He took a deep breath._

_"I haven't a clue what's important. Other than maybe Nana's furniture and mom's pots and pans." said Ted._

_"Well, Jeff will argue for the pots and pans. But I'd like to keep some of Nana's pieces." said Rose._

_"I think that can be arranged. Let's start making a list."_

**~.oOo.~**

Jeff woke at 8am to find Kurt was missing from the bed. He stretched and heard the clinking of cutlery and the bang of a cupboard. _What is that wonderful smell?_ he thought. As he was washing up after using the bathroom, he noticed Kurt's stuff was missing from the vanity. He pulled on some pants and noticed Kurt's suitcase was already packed.

_Someone got an early start this morning._ he thought.

He yawned as he wandered out into the hall toward the kitchen. The smell got stronger. And he could hear Kurt singing to himself. _That would be a lovely thing to wake up to every morning._

Jeff walked into the kitchen to find Kurt standing over the stove wearing one of Uncle Ted aprons over his travel 'outfit'. Uncle Ted was at the breakfast bar spooning fresh sliced strawberries over a Belgian Waffle. He spritzed whipped cream over it from a can.

Waffles. Kurt was making waffles.

"I stopped making those things because it was almost impossible to get the temperature right on a gas stove." said Uncle Ted grinning. "But Kurt seems to have gotten the hang of it. Tea?"

Jeff waited until Kurt had extracted the next waffle from the iron, putting it on a plate. He turned and handed it to Jeff.

"Thank you for making me waffles." said Jeff quietly, putting the plate on the counter. He turned Kurt around, and pulled him into a very tender kiss that got more and more passionate. Kurt put his arms around Jeff's neck pulling him closer.

Uncle Ted cleared his throat. "It's a good thing you didn't try that with a strawberry. But so you know, I know the Heimlich maneuver, in case either of you choke. You know, swallowing and all that." Kurt and Jeff broke apart, blushing. Jeff had to admit he liked the idea of the strawberry.

"I promise not to tease you two to much this summer. In public, at least." said Uncle Ted. "Besides, I think your mom will be a tempering influence. All the humiliation is going to to come from Lucy."

Jeff groaned. The idea of all of them under one roof this summer took some of the shiny magic out of it. He wanted Kurt all to himself.

"You guys will have the guest room and your mom and Lucy will share my bedroom and bath. And I'll take the den. Yes, I know. I didn't think this summer was going to turn into the Shapiro Family Circus, but we'll figure it out." said Uncle Ted.

"It was hard watching Rose make the decision to sell the house. And to sort through all your stuff. I realized she was saying goodbye to her life in Ohio. And the house where you and Lucy grew up. You both took your first steps in that den-I still have the videos." said Uncle Ted.

"Your waffle is getting cold." said Kurt smiling distractedly as he spritzed some quick-release spray on the the iron and poured batter for another waffle. Jeff sat and spooned strawberries onto his waffle. Uncle Ted poured him some tea.

"So, have you got a couple hours this week to go through some stuff at the house? Before it's given away or we toss it?" asked Uncle Ted.

Jeff made a face. "We have final exams next week. I might be able to come by for a couple hours on Wednesday. Our last finals are on Thursday afternoon. Then I have to pack up my dorm before we drive to Kurt's house. Friday, we start the drive from Lima."

Kurt groaned. "I hadn't thought about packing. I'm going to have to make time to do that in between reviewing for finals."

"It's OK, babe. I'll help if you need me." said Jeff.

Kurt kissed Jeff on the temple, then sat down with his own waffle. He poured himself the last of the tea and made a face.

"There's a Peet's at the airport if you can hold out for a couple hours." said Uncle Ted, reading Kurt's disappointment. _Keeping this one in coffee will not be cheap._ he thought.

Uncle Ted cleaned up while Jeff showered and packed. Kurt wandered around the house. In the den, he picked up a picture of Uncle Ted and Jason standing in a formal garden.

"That was at Filloli House, here on the Peninsula. It's claim to fame was that it was used for the exterior shots on **Dynasty** as well as in various movies. The gardens were so beautiful. And Jason loved them so much. I sprinkled a little of his ashes amongst the camellias." Uncle Ted's eyes were misty.

"You still miss him, don't you?" asked Kurt.

"Some days are better than others." admitted Uncle Ted. "It's been almost 20 years. Being around you two has helped." Kurt looked a little surprised.

"At first, I just wanted to see you two make a go of it. Then I realized that you both can have what Jason and I could not. You'll be able to get married. And maybe even have kids." Kurt nodded, admitting that he'd had those thoughts, too.

_They aren't anything like us. But why do they feel like it to me?_ thought Uncle Ted. "And that helped me finally to say goodbye." he admitted.

"Maybe now you can flirt with Mark." said Kurt, attempting to lighten the mood. Uncle Ted looked at him in surprise.

"We…uhm…may have…talked to him yesterday when we went shopping at the store. He sends his best and says 'We all miss you.' And Jeff made him blush." said Kurt with grin. It was fun to tease Uncle Ted back.

"Well, that's interesting. Your father and I have been plotting about ways of getting the you two together." said Uncle Ted grinning back as Kurt turned red.

Jeff walked in and noticed Kurt was all embarrassed.

"I thought you said you weren't going to tease us." he said to Uncle Ted.

"It's fine. I just found out that the matchmaker gene runs strong in my family." said Kurt.

"Well. I could have told you. Yenta is _so_ your color." said Jeff. Uncle Ted grinned.

**~.oOo.~**

"It's hard, babe. I know. I've been trying to say goodbye to my dad for over three years. Each year on his yahrzeit, I sang for him along with saying Kaddish. You inspired me to sing that last part at my recital. And it helped." said Jeff, his eyes glistening.

"That's why I'm here. It's like the Universe is telling me it's time." said Kurt as he knelt and placed the Calla lilies on Mollie's grave.

"Hi, mom…This is Jeff…I'm glad you two can finally meet." He swallowed. "Because I love you both…so much."

Kurt nodded and Jeff began to play the opening intro to **Blackbird** on his guitar. When they were done singing, Kurt turned to Jeff, who handed him a tissue. They both needed them. Kurt finally spoke.

"You're not allowed to go first."

Jeff nodded, understanding and smothered Kurt into a hug as if he were the last boy in the world.

"I promise to take good care of your baby, Mollie." he whispered.

**~.oOo.~**

A/N: Ho boy. Writing this chapter has been an emotional roller coaster. In the midst of it, I hit what I think is the main reason for why I'm writing this entire story. And it took me some time to process through that and get what I was feeling down on the page.

It was bugging me that I seemed to completely forget Pavarotti in this fic. Then this idea flashed to connecting back to the canon of the show.


	17. Moving

**A/N: I've got some ideas from other authors. If you see something that was in your story, it may very well be. Thanks in advance.**

**Secret Admirer / Ch. 17 - Moving**

Author: TerribleSpy

Rating: T+

Characters: Kurt, Jeff

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee. I just want to play in that universe.

**~.oOo.~**

Jeff let Kurt into his semi-vacant house. Boxes where scattered in the living room. But there was a wonderful meaty, garlicky scent that permeated the entrance hall. Jeff put down his backpack and went into the kitchen. Kurt followed him to find Uncle Ted sitting at the table going over a pile of papers, probably lists for the move. Jeff peered into a partially open oven door making the garlic scent even stronger.

"That's Nana's Roast Beef. With baked potatoes." he said in hushed tones.

"Beef, it's what's for dinner." said Lucy as she sat down at the table with a notebook, a deck of index cards, and French textbook. Jeff smiled and closed the oven door.

"_Charming as always._" said Kurt, but in French. Lucy's eyes widened.

"I figured you could use some comfort food after we go through things." Uncle Ted said smiling weakly. "Think of it as a food bribe."

"Uhm...OK." said Jeff uncertainly.

It had taken Uncle Ted _months_ to even go near Jason's clothing and things after the funeral, so he wanted to make this as easy for Jeff and Lucy as possible.

"It's just that, you might find it…difficult…to go through stuff. Especially when you're saying goodbye. To this place. It's been your home all your life."

"Kurt, how do you like your roast beef?" asked Uncle Ted. "And don't worry, I have the fixings for a salad Niçoise if you don't eat beef."

"Oh, it's more than fine. Medium rare, please. I just don't get the chance to eat beef much because I want my dad to eat healthy." said Kurt. Uncle Ted nodded.

"Sorry to leave you alone with Cousin Itt here, but I think if Uncle Ted and I sort through my stuff, it will go faster." said Jeff, giving Kurt a kiss on the cheek.

"Don't worry. I think I'll find something to do." said Kurt eyeing Lucy with amusement. Jeff and Uncle Ted went down the hall to Jeff's room.

Kurt sat down and eyed Lucy speculatively. He made a decision, pulled out the latest edition of **Vogue Paris,** and started flipping through the pages. Lucy sighed and looked up, noticing what Kurt was reading.

Kurt paused and said-again in French-_"Cramming usually doesn't work. You either know it or you don't. How's your vocabulary?_"

It took Lucy a moment to mentally translate what he said. Then she made a face with the "so-so" hand gesture. _They're_ _probably focusing on reading and writing rather than conversation._ thought Kurt.

Kurt flipped through his magazine to an article on the current Fall trends. "_Why not read that and let's talk? I'm make coffee._" said Kurt as he stood. Lucy smiled and pulled the magazine over to her side of the table.

It didn't take long to discover there wasn't any coffee. Just tea. In bags. Kurt sighed and put on the kettle to boil. When it was ready, he poured it over a tea bag in his mug and added a packet of Splenda from the cupboard.

"Tea?" he asked. Lucy looked up and shook her head but it took her a moment. _Good. Her brain is trying to switch back and forth._ thought Kurt. _That will make it easier._ He sliced and toasted a bagel.

After 5 minutes, Kurt removed the tea bag and added milk from the fridge. He spread some butter on the bagel and put it on a plate between them.

Lucy shook her head and said, also in tentative French _"Dinner is worth the wait."_ and finally looked up from the article frowning.

"_Are they stupid?_" she asked.

_She's probably doesn't know anything ruder._ thought Kurt.

"_Why_?" asked Kurt innocently. He'd already vented his own outrage to Blaine. Jeff didn't really care about such things.

"_They want to use the british royal family, specifically the wedding and jubilee stuff, as a basis for next year's fall Line." _she replied. "_The queen's hats are so ugly."_

"_Positively hideous. A crime against fashion."_ said Kurt. After a pause, Lucy laughed. Kurt continued. _"Forget the Royals, except maybe for Harry. He forgot that what happens in Las Vegas won't always stay there. Especially for him."_

"_I'm not complaining. He has a nice ass."_ she said. Kurt grinned. _Obviously, she would figure out how to say __that__._ he thought.

"_Yes, a royally nice ass."_ replied Kurt. Again, a pause and laughter.

"_What level of French are you in?"_ asked Lucy.

"_French IV, but I'm studying independently with the teacher. She caught me reading __**Vogue Paris**__ on the first day of class." _Kurt pointed to the magazine. "_And asked me to stay after." _

"_Oops."_

"_Yes, but not really. She gave me a copy __**Les Misérables**__. We met twice a week during my free period. We had tea and talked about it extensively. I wrote a paper on how the book and Broadway show were different and why. Then I read __**Candide**__, we discussed it along with Voltaire's other work, and I wrote a paper on how delusional he was."_ Kurt spoke slowly, making sure she followed what he was saying.

"_You're lucky. That sounded like fun. I always thought Voltaire's head was in a very dark place."_ said Lucy as Kurt giggled.

"_It was fun to be challenged. And it was hard work."_ admitted Kurt. "_Frankly, I have no idea what my final will be on tomorrow."_

They started discussing clothes, specifically her wardrobe and the colors that would look best on her, again in French. He decided to change the subject.

"_How are you doing, you know, with all this?"_ he asked.

"_It's hard saying goodbye. Leaving home. And friends. I don't know where I'm going or what I'll do." _she admitted with both a tinge of sadness and fear.

Jeff walked into the kitchen scowling and carrying an adorable stuffed dragon.

"Uncle Ted said you were going to throw Puff away. Along with some of my books. The autographed Sandman volumes and the Heinleins." said Jeff angrily.

"I figured it was easier than putting a Lego in your shoe." she said.

"_There are better ways."_ said Kurt in French.

"_Oh? Continue."_ she asked.

"_We're doing it now. See how annoyed he is? Think of this all summer."_

"_Ah. Have I told you how much I like how evil you are?"_

"_A little."_ replied Kurt with a grin.

"You guys are talking about me, aren't you?" asked Jeff.

"Whatever gave you that idea? We were talking about this horrific article in **Vogue Paris**. I mentioned it to you last week." said Kurt innocently.

Jeff frowned and muttered something that Kurt couldn't quite make out. He went back down the hall to his room.

"_In case you're wondering, that was 'Prepare to die. Slowly.' in Klingon._" said Lucy, rolling her eyes.

The kitchen timer dinged but neither Uncle Ted nor Jeff came to investigate.

"_Excuse me a moment._" said Kurt, again in French.

He went back to Jeff's room and found them going through the contents of an old vinyl-covered toy chest.

"Uhm…the timer went off." said Kurt. Uncle Ted nodded and went back into the kitchen.

"Why are you making friends with her?" asked Jeff. He sounded a little angry. And hurt.

"Well, you and I have each other and **Cats** when we get to Palo Alto. Who will she have? What will she do all summer?" asked Kurt.

Jeff's angry look softened. "Plus she's going through the same stuff you are. Doesn't she deserve some support?" Jeff looked a little guilty.

"Just be sure you aren't seduced by the Dark Side of the Force, OK?" he said finally.

"If anyone's going to be seduced," Kurt said grinning slyly. "It's going to be _her."_

"Now you're scaring me." said Jeff as he stood. _Every evil queen needs minions._ he thought but wouldn't ever dare say aloud.

Uncle Ted calling them from the kitchen.

Lucy had cleared and set the table. Uncle Ted removed the aluminum foil from the roast, which had been resting, and sliced it.

"How do you like your baked potato?" he asked Kurt.

"Just half, please. A dollop of sour cream and some chives." said Kurt. His mouth watered.

Uncle Ted assembled each plate, taking time to carefully arrange the food so that it looked good. Two slices of roast beef, perfectly blanched french green beans, and baked potato. _Now I know where Jeff gets his cooking skills._ thought Kurt.

He took a bite of the roast. A garlic-mustard coating seasoned the meat perfectly. And without salt, he noted. A quiet moan grew in the back of his throat. Both Kurt and Jeff turned pink and Lucy laughed.

"Now you know another way to make him moan." said Lucy cackling. Jeff bit down on a response.

"_Behave, if you want to know how to make your little brown warbler sound like that._" said Kurt sharply in French. It took a moment, but Lucy turned a dark shade of red.

_And there it is._ Jeff thought. _Kurt can fight his own battles._ _ This will work out just fine._

"Uncle Ted, really. That roast is…wonderful." said Kurt almost reverently. "But Jeff, you can never _**ever**_ make that for my father and brother."

"Why not?" asked Jeff, a little disappointed. He kinda wanted to make some serious points with Burt.

"Because he'll want it _every_ week. And Finn will eat a whole roast all by himself. Even if we buy it at CostCo, it will ruin the food budget and dad's health. I have enough trouble convincing him to only have steak once a month. And I season it with oriental spices that he's not all that excited about it. If he tastes this, he'll have a mouth-gasm. That's how good it is." Lucy and Jeff giggle.

"It's been _so_ long since a man complemented my cooking." Uncle Ted sighed. "So I guess my white chocolate mousse is also off limits."

"Well…I'll have to check and get back to you on that…" said Kurt smiling. He wasn't stupid. It was white chocolate.

**~.oOo.~**

Four days later, Kurt awoke to the smell of coffee in their room in Palo Alto. Jeff was singing quietly in Uncle Ted's kitchen. He pulled on a pair of Jazz pants, a t-shirt that said **Don't Get Me Started**, and padded into the kitchen.

"Good morning, handsome." Kurt said to a very manic Jeff, who smiled back as he flitted around the kitchen.

As he was singing along to the boombox on the counter, Jeff was acting out the song's crazy lyrics. Kurt listened more closely to the lyrics while watching Jeff pretend to dress in the most god-awful assortment of stuff.

_Who wears lavender spats with an organdy snood?_ In actuality, Jeff was wearing cargo shorts, his B&W All-Stars, and a t-shirt that said **There's no place like 127 . 0 . 0 . 1.** He had tried to explain it to Kurt, but had given up. "How could Glenda ever have been a Google system administrator before the Internet was even existed?" Kurt had argued. Jeff's only comeback was "Time is really made of wibbly wobbley timey whimmy stuff." Once Jeff started quoting the Doctor, Kurt knew to just let it go.

The song ended and Jeff paused the playback. Kurt looked at the jewel case on top of the boombox.

"This is Michael Feinstein. Where is this song from?" Kurt asked. They'd listened to a podcast about Michael's book **The Gershwins and Me** on the plane courtesy of the last secret admirer email.

"**The 5000 Fingers of Dr. T**" said Jeff waiting to see if Kurt recognized it. Nothing. Jeff grinned. "I guess we have our next movie preselected. I know Uncle Ted has it in his collection. He's also has a lot of Michael Feinstein CDs."

There was an envelop on the table with Kurt's name on it.

"What's this?" Kurt asked, sitting down and picking it up.

"Open it." said Jeff as he smiled and laid the poached egg and toasted bagel on the plate in front of Kurt.

There was a card inside, made on an inkjet printer but obviously done via Photoshop. It was a picture of two Sneeches, one with a star on it's navel and one without from the Doctor Seuss book. They were holding hands and looking at each other. Inside, Jeff had written by hand

** We're all a little weird, and**

** Life's a little weird. And**

** When we find someone**

** Who's weirdness is**

** Compatible with our ours,**

** We join up with them**

** And fall in mutual weirdness**

** And call it LOVE.**

** I'm so lucky I found you **

** - Love Jeff xoxo**

"I really liked the card you made me, so I made one for you. It's not hand drawn or anything but…" said Jeff but Kurt cut him off with a long lingering kiss.

"I love getting cards from you. Don't stop." said Kurt quietly. Jeff nodded smiling.

They took their time eating the light breakfast of a yoghurt fruit cup, poached egg, bagel and coffee, chatting about the last few very busy days before flying out here. _Thank god we didn't drive. We'd both be dead right now._ thought Jeff.

"Are you sure this is going to be enough?" asked Kurt. "I was hungry at the break after that dance class."

"That's the idea. Don't load up with heavy stuff otherwise you'll get cramps. Or be 'indisposed'." said Jeff adding the air quotes with his fingers.

"OK, if you say so." said Kurt as he turned from rinsing the dishes in the sink. He pulling his messenger bag on his shoulder and offered Jeff his arm. "I'm ready if you are."

Jeff pulled Kurt into another lingering kiss, only minimally hampered by the messenger bag. Jeff took Kurt's arm as they started their walk to the community center.

"Thanks for letting me borrow your phone on the plane. Again." said Kurt as they walked.

"Sure, no problem. I was thinking after rehearsals that we might go see about getting your phone fixed, maybe have some frozen yogurt and then visit mom." said Jeff.

"Sounds like a plan." replied Kurt smiling.

Signs at the community center directed them to one of the dance studios. 'James', according to his name tag, was outside giving out folders with cast information. They collected theirs and made name tags for themselves.

"Jeff, you're in Group A and Kurt, you're in group B. I'll see you inside shortly." said James as he handed them their folders.

It was crowded inside the studio. A sign requesting everyone remove their street shoes was posted just inside the entrance. Many pairs of shoes overflowed the cubbyholes by the door and floor space to the right. Dance bags were piled nearby. Jeff put his folder in his dance bag and changed to a pair of black ultraJazz shoes before stowing the bag in a corner.

"How can I not have the right shoes for this?" asked Kurt somewhat indignantly, putting his folder away and removing his shoes.

"We'll order you a pair on-line or maybe go into Mountain View and get you some gear later." said Jeff. "You may not even need them. But I have some ballet slippers if you do." Kurt smiled and nodded.

The space wasn't originally meant for dance. It was probably used for shop classes back when the center was a high school but they had installed a 'floating floor' with a rubberized coating to change the space into a dance studio. The high, two-story ceiling and all glass windows along one wall gave the room lovely light in the early morning. One wall had 6-foot high mirrors with a dance barre.

Alex was sitting on the floor in a far corner next to the girl that had sung **Blackbird** at the audition. He waved to the boys and they moved through other clusters of seated kids to their corner.

"I was so glad when I saw your name on the cast list." Kurt said to Alex, giving him a hug. "And, hi. I'm Kurt. And this is Jeff." he said to the girl.

"Marley. Loved your **Jazz Hot**. And your **Moves Like Jagger** was smokin'." she said smiling with a little pink in her cheeks. She started fanning herself. It seems Jeff had that effect on more than just him.

"Thanks. Your **Blackbird** moved me in ways I can't begin to tell you." said Kurt.

William, the director from the auditions, stood in the center of the room.

"Hello, everyone. Sorry, we may start a few minutes late. That won't happen after today. I think we have a few people that are unaccounted for and we'll give them a few minutes to get here. In the meantime, everyone stand. Let's do a little 'getting to know you' exercise." he said.

Jeff and Kurt stood with curious looks on their faces. Marley and Alex grinned as they too stood and Alex leaned over and said "Newbies." in a stage whisper to Marley.

"OK, everyone, I want you to introduce yourself to as many different people in 3 minutes as you can. Just say your name and why you're here in one sentence or less. Try not to repeat yourself and see what new reasons you discover. Hello, I'm William and I'll be helping you all produce this musical." he said.

"Hello, I'm James and I'll be helping William help you." said James who had just come in from outside.

"Got it? Begin now." said William.

"Hi, My name is Kurt and I'm here to sing my heart out."

"Hi, I'm Jeff and I'm here to dance my ass off."

After the first couple intros, Kurt noticed he strayed further and further from his initial reason and talked more about what he wanted to learn or things he was curious about, and Jeff. Jeff talked about learning new dances. And new things to cook with Kurt. And spending every waking moment with Kurt. It was interesting that once one reason got uncovered, another would appear.

"Time."

"Interesting exercise, isn't it? So, a little about me." William continued.

"I've been directing and in some way involved in theater my whole life. I teach theater arts at a local community college. This is the fourth production of **Cats** that I've done, the second for the Youth Theater group. It's the director's job to hold the vision of a production. Many times that vision can change based on what talent you have to work with. And I can say from seeing all of you audition, that we're going to have our best production yet. You're all so amazingly talented and we're going to be working with you to find and stretch your boundaries. Get ready to work very hard this summer.

"Between now and the break, I want you to consider four things you want out of being in this production. I'm not talking about something tangible like a new BMW or a trip to Europe."

"Rats." said someone in the back of the room. There was smattering of laughter.

"I'm talking about something you want to accomplish or have happen. Like learning how to ask for help when you need it. For example, it took me a while to learn to ask James here to help me with certain things around the house. Sometimes I don't always have time to dust." Jeff and Kurt exchanged looks. Alex had a little smile on his face.

"Or learning to set boundaries. I learned I didn't have to allow my family to tell me how to live my life when I directed my first production of **Cabaret** in college. Get the idea? Now don't write these down just yet. But think about it during your dance class."

"For the next week, Group A will be meeting in this room and Group B will meet next door at 8am for Dance camp." There were groans from some of the cast members.

"How many of you have dance backgrounds?" asked William. Jeff and about 10 others raised their hands.

"I'll be looking to you people to help everyone else. And people, don't eat a big breakfast before class. I don't want you 'becoming unwell'. Eat light and then you can have something more substantial at the break. There's a discussion on a sheet in your cast packets. We'll be going easy on you today.

"Now if you need a bio-break, the boys and girls restrooms are just down the walkway. Be back here in 10 minutes." William smiled as he turned to James who had a pile of folders, obviously of those that were late or had not shown up.

Jeff stood and walked to the barre, raised his right leg onto it, and pointed his toe. He slowly bent his left knee in a demi-plié, then went on tip-toe in relevé, and finally pressed his head to his knee. Then he switched legs.

Kurt stood by and huffed. He put his hand on Jeff's arm and whispered "You're making me both jealous and turned on at the same time."

Jeff laughed. "Well, we can't have that. And yes, I can do the splits." Jeff lunged deeper into the stretch so that if he was on the floor, his legs would be 180° apart.

Kurt flashed on the image of Jeff, first in dance shorts sitting on the floor, legs splayed wide in a martial-arts style splits, his torso leaning forward with hands on the floor. Then the shorts were gone and Jeff was naked, feet splayed 180°, toes pointed up, torso forward on the floor, and his head resting on his elbows as if he's watching TV. The pale melon halves of his butt muscles look like little mountains at the end of the long plain of his back.

Kurt flushed. "I'm going next door. I'll see you at the break."

**~.oOo.~**

"I can't believe that William hasn't made up his mind on the featured parts yet. And one guy from my group was switched with yours." said Kurt somewhat miffed. They were riding the bus to downtown.

"It makes sense. Your new guy is a better dancer. He'll help balance out the groups. I see what they're doing. I don't see how they can do that with something more complex like **Guys and Dolls**, where we actually have to act **and** sing **and** dance." mused Jeff. Already his brain was thinking about the **how does it work?** aspect of the production.

They got off the bus near the Post Office. From there it was only a block to University Avenue passed a curious mix of upscale boutiques, restaurants, and retail businesses to the Apple Store.

Kurt brightened as they passed a **Cheesecake Factory**. _Damn. Time for damage control._ Jeff thought. _Otherwise, I'll be eating here every week, being the good boyfriend._

"Have you ever eaten there? The food is terrible." said Jeff. Kurt looked disappointed.

"And the portions are so small." Kurt's eyes narrowed.

"Yes, that's a Woody Allen joke. But the food is pretty bad. I'll make you a deal. I'll have dessert here with you, but I'll eat dinner elsewhere." said Jeff.

Kurt nodded begrudgingly. "OK, but I want to try it. At least once." said Kurt. "The one in Columbus is nice." Jeff mentally went through what local bakeries had better cheesecake, so that he could keep Kurt bribed into not stepping foot into the place.

Inside the Apple Store, someone greeted them immediately. Jeff said he had an appointment to get an iPhone battery replacement. They were **escorted** back through the busy store to the Genius Bar in back. Jeff could almost imagine an Apple employee asking them if they wanted an espresso while they waited.

All the stools by the Genius Bar were full and the kid's table was occupied with a bunch of 5 year olds playing games. They sat on the impeccably clean blonde-wood floor by the back wall and waited for Jeff's name to be called.

Someone called Jeff's name. They both stood and went over to the desk. It didn't take long to check in Kurt's phone to have the battery replaced and the firmware updated. Jeff insisted they leave the phone at iOS 5 but the Apple Genius assured him that iOS 6 wouldn't run on the older model phone. They'd email Jeff when it was done in about an hour. He checked his phone for the address and direction to Rose's rehab facility.

The receptionist at **Palo Alto Subacute Care** directed Jeff and Kurt to the exercise room at the end of the hallway. They found Rose on the treadmill doing a brisk walk without using the handrails for support.

"Mom?" said Jeff surprised.

Rose turned and saw Jeff and Kurt. She smiled, closed the book on the treadmill's reading rack, and poked buttons on the console to halt it. She stepped off the machine and put a towel around her neck. Jeff was in her arms giving her a bear hug almost immediately.

**~.oOo.~**

_If his therapist had asked 14-year old Jeff what he felt about his Dad's funeral, he would have said "Nothing." He was drawing a complete blank._

_When Jeff started therapy a year ago, it was to help him cope with the changes in his life. Coming out, the bullying at his middle school, his enrolling in Dalton, and his feelings about best friend Nick. They talked about all of these things. _

_Jeff tended to bottle up his feelings until he exploded. His dad had handled an unfortunate incident the last week of middle school allowing Jeff to start Dalton with a unblemished record. His two main tormentors, however, weren't so lucky. One had a broken nose and the other, a dislocated elbow. Al Shapiro had had words with the principle about the bullying going on in her school and with his son about using violence to solve problems. Jeff's smashed foot and broken toes, which had started the whole thing, kept him from dance class for half of the summer._

_Jeff had recited Kaddish with the Rabbi and his mom the night before and at the funeral. But they were just words. The casket was closed, so the last memories Jeff had of his dad was when Al gave him a hug and reassured him that everything was going to be all right. The surgery was just routine._

_Jeff chose to go back to Dalton the day after the funeral, even though his family was 'sitting shiva', the traditional Jewish eight days of mourning. His schoolwork and Warbler practice helped to distract him from his numbness._

"_It's weird. I miss Dad." said Jeff. "It's like there's this hole in my chest. But I don't feel like crying or anything, really. You're supposed to cry when someone you love dies, right?" Nick shrugged. _

_They were sitting on one of the couches in the Warbler's practice room after everyone else had left. His mom was picking him up to spend the night at home rather than have him sleep in his dorm room which shared with Nick. She texted that she was running a little late._

"_Maybe it hasn't hit you yet. When my grandma died, it took grandpa a day to finally realize it. He was like this zombie during the service and the wake, smiling, and talking to people. But he wasn't really there, you know?" offered Nick. _

"_I was watching __**Cocoon**__ the day after with him. One of the characters was named Rose, which was grandma's name. He got up and went outside when they got to that scene where she died. We found him on the porch silently crying his eyes out."_

_Jeff just nodded. Rose was his mom's name, too. He couldn't imagine how he'd feel watching __**Cocoon**__ if she was dead._

"_Maybe you just need a jumpstart. You know…like a car with a low battery." said Nick. He thought for a minute, then went to the wall with the Warbler's extensive DVD collection, selected a movie, and put the disk into the player. Once it loaded, he selected the chapter with the song he wanted and pressed PLAY._

_God, our heavenly father, _

_Oh God, and my father, _

_Who is also in heaven_

_May the light of this flickering candle_

_Illuminate the light_

_The way your spirit _

_Illuminates my soul_

_Papa, can you hear me?_

_Jeff's eyes started to fill, his vision blurring. He knew this song and the movie. _

_His phone rang. It was his mom, come to pick him up. When Jeff got in the car, he was a mess._

"_Why did dad have to die?" he asked, tears streaming down his face. Rose just held him, rocking him as best she could over the car's center console._

**~.oOo.~**

"Mom?" Jeff's vision continued to blur as he started blinking back tears. _His mom was…OK._

Rose could see the tears starting. She guided him to a bench near the door.

"How?…When?" continued Jeff but the dam broke and all the helplessness he'd felt that night three months ago just came bubbling up. She held him as he broke down and cried softly into her shoulder.

"Shh. My sheine velt. Shhh." She soothed, holding him, much as she had done long ago in her car, rocking him as his grief crested and then started to ebb. Kurt appeared with a box of tissues from the bathroom.

Finally, Jeff drew back from his mom. "I thought I'd lost you, too." he said with a watery voice.

"Jeffie. Tatala, you should know you'll never 'loose' me." she said quietly. "I'll always be with you. Even when I'm not here any more. Just ask Kurt."

Kurt's heart ached as Jeff cried in his mother's arms. He nodded, weakly. Then he smiled because, for the life of him, Kurt just could not ever imagine himself calling Jeffry Alan Shapiro "Jeffie" anytime soon.

"I haven't seen you in three weeks." she said. Jeff bowed his head embarrassed.

"It's OK. You had school and this audition thing." she said. "I've been able to really talk for a couple weeks. Since I came here, my balance has been getting so much better. I walk every day, although that treadmill is really boring. So, I read. And I'm studying for the Psych exam."

"Here?" asked Jeff excited. She nodded. Jeff hugged her again. She really was back.

"Can you go outside?" he asked pulling away from her.

"Yes, but the staff don't have time for that. Visitors sometimes take residents for a 'walk' in their wheel chairs." Ruth replied somewhat puzzled. "I'm lucky that I'm here really getting better."

Jeff grinned even more. "Care for some frozen yogurt? It's Uncle Ted's favorite place."

"Sure, if you don't mind the company." she said.

"Are you kidding? We have _so much_ to tell you." said Kurt, cutting in.

**~.oOo.~**

"Have you heard from Ted?" Rose asked as she ate a spoonful of the 'natural organic' non-fat yogurt with some apricot purée and fresh diced mango. _All I taste yogurt and the fruit. And there's almost no sugar._ _Wonderful stuff. _she thought.

Jeff looked at the photos he'd asked a counter person to take of the three of them. Some had Jeff and Kurt making faces. One had Rose kissing Jeff's cheek. And another had Jeff and Rose kissing Kurt's blushing cheeks with the yogurt cups partially consumed in the foreground. He set that one up to be his wallpaper.

"Not since we left Ohio. He's 'in transit', driving cross country with Lucy." said Jeff finally looking up from his phone.

"Oh, that poor man. We'll have to make it up to him." said Rose.

Jeff looked shocked, which Rose noticed. "You don't think that I didn't notice that Lucy is the bane of your existence sometimes. She can be quite a pill." she said.

"That doesn't mean I have to raise to the bait." replied Jeff guiltily.

Rose smiled and looked at Kurt. "Is this some of your doing?"

Kurt raised hands palms facing Rose in surrender. "Oh no. I think it's the Grinch Effect. You know, when his heart grows from two sizes to small to two sizes to big. Almost loosing your last parent can do that to you."

She laughed. Jeff's phone went off. It was a text from Uncle Ted.

**Trapped in a stationwagon with a whiney teenager from hell. :( /ted**

Jeff showed his phone to Kurt and Rose.

"That sounds about right. Wasn't she texting you, like, hourly for a while?" asked Kurt.

"Yeah. After a while I got tired of the **I'm bored** and **Soooo bored** and **Are we there yet?** status updates." said Jeff. "When she started repeating herself and sent **S*O F*U*C*K*I*N*G B*O*R*E*D**, I replied **Can I watch? Video?** and it stopped. She's probably annoying one of her friends. Or Nick. I should call him and tell him not to encourage her."

Jeff's phone buzzed with another text.

**Kill me now or help me bury her body when I get there. :( /ted**

Jeff grinned and scrolled through his photos. He sent one of himself, Rose, and Kurt with huge smiles looking at their yogurt cups along with a text.

**Guess where we are? :D /J**

Just seconds later, he got a reply.

**FML**

Jeff burst out laughing, then showed his phone to Kurt who read the text thread and also burst out laughing. Kurt passed the phone to Rose, who read it and frowned with confusion.

"It means **F* My Life**." said Jeff.

He hadn't heard his mom laugh that loud in a very long time.

**~.oOo.~**

**A/N:** I decided not to bother translating the French conversations with Lucy because Google Translator isn't as good as a native speaker and I wanted all the snark intact.

Nana's Roast Beef is very simple. Coat a Tri-tip or even a Filet roast with a mixture of 1/4 c. French's Yellow Mustard (Gulden's also works but NOT a Dijon), a clove of garlic run through a garlic press or crushed and minced with a pinch of salt, and a dash of Worcestershire Sauce. If you want the coating to form a crust, add a tablespoon of flour to make it into a thin paste. Coat the meat with the mustard mixture, even the bottom. Roast at 350°F to desired degree of doneness with a meat thermometer. Remove when the thermometer says 150°F internal temperature and let it rest at least 20 minutes before slicing. And if you like it any other way than rare or medium rare, I don't want to know. I can't eat Roast Beef any other way.

On a side note, the trajectory of canon Klaine seems to follow so many Taylor Swift songs. I wonder if Ryan Murphy is whispering things to Taylor's ear while she sleeps like his creepy ghosts from **American Horror Story**. I can so imagine Blaine or Sebastian singing **Red** as a karaoke cover in a NYC bar only to have Kurt walk in mid-performance. We all can write that story in our sleep.

AND, another side note. I've just started reading **Struck By Lightening**. Geeze, Chris is snarky. I think I'm in love. With his writing.


	18. Adjustments

A/N: **I've got some ideas from other authors. If you see something that was in your story, it may very well be. Thanks in advance. This chapter has some more explicit stuff. Nothing beyond talk after the fact but still, the adults may blush but the kids won't get it and just laugh at the funny stuff. Like on Bullwinkle. Apologies in advance to anyone who's Mormon.**

**Secret Admirer / Ch. 18 - Adjustments**

**Author: TerribleSpy**

Rating: M

Characters: Kurt, Jeff

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee. I just want to play in that universe.

**~.oOo.~**

Jeff was pulling the herbed avocado and baked eggs from the oven as Kurt came into the kitchen for breakfast. Kurt's expression was unreadable as he sat down at the table.

"Penny for your thoughts." said Jeff as he served the eggs with their 'usual' breakfast of yogurt with fruit and a toasted bagel.

Kurt was just about to answer when Jeff interrupted.

"Five bucks if they're dirty."

_Jeff had been having fantasies about him. Sex fantasies. If the simple things they'd done in the shower last night were any indication, they were really __good__ sex fantasies. _Kurt thought as he grinned. _Well, two can play at his 'spoiling the moment' game._

_Grinning is good, right? thought _Jeff nervously as he sat down next to Kurt.

"I'll just say what's in my heart" said Kurt as he brought both hands to his chest. "babump…babump…babump…babump"

Jeff blinked, then burst out laughing.

"Did you just quote Mel Brooks? That was his Oscar acceptance speech for **Blazing Saddles**." They had watched the Mel Brooke interview on PBS the night before flying out to California, much to Kurt's reluctance. He wasn't a fan of that movie, mostly because of the gross campfire scene.

But he'd laughed just as hard, if not harder at scenes shown from other movies. Jeff found it interesting that some of what Kurt found funny didn't do much for him. Of course, they both laughed anytime anyone said Frau Blücher's name. They both even whinnied like horses. But for some reason Kurt found the Frau's pronouncement "He vas my boyfrüend" hysterical.

Kurt replied, fidgeting with his fingers nervously. "And last night was…lots of fun. But let's save the shower for _afterwards,_ OK? With the possible exception of a bubble bath." Kurt has a few of his own sex fantasies he wanted to try.

Jeff exhaled. "I wasn't sure how you felt about…what we did last night." and he sat down beside Kurt to his own breakfast.

Kurt turned pink and put his hand over Jeff's. "Jeff…it was really hot. I didn't know I could get so worked up."

"Well, you have to admit, there's a lot here to worship." said Jeff nonchalantly. "Your legs just go on and on, like, forever. And your little tushie is just so adorablely NOM-able."

Kurt raised an eyebrow and tilted his head. He wasn't sure what part of his anatomy that was.

"Punim." Jeff said slyly as he kissed Kurt's cheek, then the corner of his mouth, and finally full on the mouth.

"Pupik." Kurt squeaked as Jeff's hand found it's way underneath Kurt's **I Have A Black Belt in Bitch** t-shirt and the thumb pressed into Kurt's navel then lightly grazed the fuzz below it.

"Tushie." said Jeff as his hand slipped out of Kurt's grasp and slid behind him to gently squeeze Kurt's butt.

"I hope I've built the pedestal high enough. Your tushie should just be at the right level to take a bite…"

Kurt slapped Jeff's shoulder lightly in mock horror.

Jeff sighed and leaned over to slowly kiss Kurt. Recalling what his mom had said about being a part of someone, Jeff realized that Kurt was now part of him and always would be. He withdrew from the kiss but didn't pull away, his hands finding Kurt's shoulders and enveloping Kurt into hug.

Kurt felt Jeff sigh. He pulled back.

"Hey. What?" he asked.

"Oh. I realized how much I love you." said Jeff quietly. "And how much you mean to me."

"I love you, too." Kurt sighed and lightly kissed Jeff's cheek. "I didn't even mind going to sleep all pruney last night." said Kurt. "Just so long as it's not to often."

"But babe, you looked so cute with shampoo horns." taunted Jeff grinning.

**~.oOo.~**

The first real 'acting' lesson was later that morning after Dance Camp. The cast members were all shoehorned into one of the Dance rooms after their break.

"While this musical has no spoken dialog per se, you still have to act and become your characters as you sing. Which, in some ways, is harder." said William to the assembled cast members.

"While you all did wonderfully in the auditions, there were a couple that stood out as more than just singing a song." continued William. "Now I don't want to put anyone on the spot, but I know that actors can go into a different head space during an audition and don't remember what happened. Perhaps we can get some perspectives. Anyone care to share about their audition?"

Jeff and a few others raised their hands and William nodded.

"I did **Mr. Mistoffelees** mostly because I had a black cat like that growing up. Ninja was this curious little guy who was always getting into such impossible places and things. We couldn't put stuff on the coffee table because it would end up on the floor or under a bookcase. He'd turn everything into a cat toy. Even stuff on the top of the fridge ended up on the floor sometimes. On the DVD, his song is sung by Rum Tum Tugger but the dancing is another actor. I tried to do a bit of both, choreographing something that let me dance and still have enough breath to sing. When I was dancing, I thought of Ninja and how he moved." said Jeff.

William made a note before he spoke. "Anyone else?" William called on Alex.

"I'm so used to hiding who I am at school. So when I sing, I want to say 'Here I am'. That's what was going through my head as I sang **Memory**." he said. "I want to be remembered."

Kurt raised his hand and William pointed to him.

"At the audition, I heard Marley sing **Blackbird**. It was my mom's favorite song. She died when I was 8 and that song always makes me think of her. I miss her a lot. Mostly when she's not here to see me perform. So, when I sang **Memory** for my callback, that's what was going through my head."

"What Kurt and Jeff mentioned is what's called a 'sense memory'. It's a tool used to bring an actor into an emotional space for a performance. Sometimes the actor makes a choice that works for a scene and sometimes a director will give the actor a note to get them into the space they want for the scene." said William.

"How many of you studied the **Cats** video before auditioning?" asked William. Most of the hands went up.

"How many of you have a cat now or had one in the past?" he asked. Again, most hands went up.

"How many read the T.S. Elliot poems?" Far fewer hands were raised. Both Kurt and Jeff had taken turns reading the poems to each other with each imagined they were the cat being described.

"You all have the luxury of doing background on a show or even a specific character prior to the audition. Most times, you won't have that. But still, spend some time preparing what you can ahead of time. You never know what a director or producer is looking for in an audition."

"Now another point. How many of you want to act as a career?" More than two thirds of the kids raised their hands.

"OK. For homework, I want you all to watch **Broadway or Bust**. It's a PBS special about a competition between kids from all over the US who meet in New York for a special workshop and competition. They have five days to learn and perform their number. They're coached by Broadway professionals. It's intense. But it will show you what you're up against. Here's a flyer on the show and the URL to access it on the web. It's three hours long and I want you all to watch it by Friday. We'll talk about it then."

"That's all for today. We will post the featured roles for both casts on the web site later today. If we have your email address on file, we send out an email when it's up. Jeff, Blake, Kurt, and Alex? Would you stay for a moment?" said William as he dismissed the rest of the group.

Jeff's Group A had renamed themselves the "New York" cast. Kurt's was the "London" cast. Blake was the second best dancer next to Jeff, which was why William had moved him into Kurt's cast to balance out the groups.

The four boys stood in front of William as the rest of the kids collected their dance bags and went back to the cubbyholes to retrieve their shoes before leaving.

"Blake and Jeff, part of the mentoring for this program is that we give additional responsibilities to cast members to expand and stretch their skills. You are both excellent dancers and we've noticed you helping others in your groups." The boys nodded. "What do you say to being you group's dance captains?" They nodded enthusiastically.

"Alex and Kurt, we noticed you both have experience sewing and making costumes." said William. Again, both boys nodded.

"We'd like to help you work with each of your cast members to create a look for their characters. Then coordinate with Deborah, the wardrobe mistress, to come up with the costume and make-up for each of them. This is a big job. It involves listening to what each person wants or inspiring them to think about their character and helping them create it. Deborah will help each cast member make the costume you design and with the stage makeup. Are you up for that?" asked William.

Kurt nodded excitedly but Alex looked uncertain.

"OK, I'll see all you guys tomorrow and we'll talk some more. Jeff and Blake, Lisa, our choreographer, will be around tomorrow during Dance camp to talk to you."

Kurt spoke as they were putting on their shoes. "Well, I don't know about all of you, but I could use lunch and an iced coffee. How about grabbing something at the market and meeting outside Peet's?" They all nodded.

Jabbering little kids started filing into the dance studio along with their parents. Jeff glanced at the schedule to see a beginning dance class for 4-6 year olds was set to start right after their class on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Jeff caught up with the others and was just beaming.

"Teaching a kids class like that would be so much fun. I wonder if I could help out next Thursday." he said to the other guys.

"I'm sure you can ask." said Blake, grinning.

In the grocery store, Alex and Blake stood in front of the deli counter with a number to be waited on. Jeff and Kurt looked at the salad and hot food bar.

"Why don't we buy stuff and make lunch at home? For all of us." asked Jeff.

"Suits me." said Kurt.

"Hey, guys?" called Jeff. "I was thinking, instead of buying a sandwich, how about Kurt and I make us some lunch?"

Alex looked at Blake, then back at Kurt. "You're on."

Blake and Alex agreed to go in and pay $6 each for a 'fabulous salad at Chez Shapiro, which as just around the corner.' They got sodas and a huge cookie from the bakery section and went through the checkout. Jeff and Kurt put their basket with an assortment of fruit, veggies & greens, fresh mozzarella, and canned cooked chicken on the conveyer belt. Alex mumble something about Rachel Ray and Julia Child but Kurt chose to ignore it.

**~.oOo.~**

"A straight man _cannot_ be living here." said Alex as he stared at the 50's era Great Room that adjoined the kitchen.

Blake and Alex, after spending the requisite 5-minute on the 5¢ tour, sat at the breakfast bar watching Jeff and Kurt bustling around the kitchen. In 15 minutes, Jeff set down a platter of greens, cooked Yukon Gold potato, blanched green beans and a bowl of curried chicken salad. Kurt offered a bowl of a 'deconstructed' Caprese salad of halved cherry tomatoes, mozzarella cubes, and shredded basil and a plate of toasted baguettes slices, rubbed with garlic. A kettle whistled and Jeff poured hot water over coffee in a French Press and into a tea pot.

"So this is what it's like to live with the **Beekman Boys**, but without the goats." said Alex as he tasted the salads. "It's so simple. And this is damn good, you two. Let me know when you open a bed and breakfast."

Kurt and Jeff looked at each other puzzled then at Alex.

"Hello? You two should have your own Bravo Style show. Well, after you finish college in New York and become a huge success. In about 10 years." said Alex.

Jeff already had his phone out and was Googling "Beekman Boys". He clicked on the top hit and giggled when an article came up. He showed Kurt a picture of Brent, maybe, "donning his gay apparel" for last Christmas. It was an elaborate Victorian bonnet-thing with silk flowers and ostrich plumes. They all laughed as the phone got passed around.

"Well, I'm all for my own Bravo Style show if I get to wear hats." said Kurt in mock excitement as he gave Jeff back his phone. "So, have either of you seen **Broadway or Bust!**"

Both Alex and Blake shook their heads.

"We had a viewing party for the Warblers at our school." said Kurt.

Blake still looked mystified. "They're our school's show choir." offered Kurt. "We were part of the central midwest competition region. The group's been around for almost 100 years, I think."

"Paly and Gunn high schools only offer traditional choir. Madrigals, motets, and church music with robes. Not much 'show' to it." said Blake. "If you want to sing show tunes, theater is it."

Kurt and Jeff looked disappointed as they ate, but it fit with what Alex had told them.

"Paly did **A Chorus Line** when I was a freshman. I was Mike, the _I Can Do That_ kid." Blake continued. "Only one other guy had a dance background and he played Paul. The rest worked their asses off. Some were better than others, but that's to be expected."

"I never got the chance see **A Chorus Line.** I've sung along to the cast album and watched the DVD. _At The Ballet_ always made me cry." said Kurt.

Jeff said pensively "I started dancing to get away from my sister. She kept following me around. But she hated dance class and quit after a few lessons. I kept going. At first, to get away from her. Then, because I liked it more and more. I've never done any theater, really. Just the Warblers or dance recitals. Most of the advise about auditioning and performing I got from the **Broadway or Bust** video."

"I wouldn't mind watching the video again, but with commentary from you two, who've been through real auditions." said Kurt. "Is that OK with you, babe?" as he glanced at Jeff speculatively.

"Fine. If you two can stay." nodded Jeff.

"Let me call my mom." said Blake, taking out his phone and wandering over to the other side of the room. Alex just pulled out his phone, apparently not caring if he'd be overheard.

"Are you sure you're OK with this? We were gonna watch **The 5000 Fingers of Dr. T**." Jeff asked quietly.

"It will still be there tomorrow. Meanwhile, we have _guests_." hissed Kurt as Jeff grinned. This was their first time _hosting_ anything _together_.

Blake nodded and put his phone back in his pocket as he sat back at the counter and finished his iced coffee. Alex was smiling.

"I can stay until 5, then I have to get home. It's Family Dinner night." said Blake. "This really works out. The Internet computer is booked most of the week. I was able to reserve Thursday, so if we can watch the first two parts, I can watch the last part then. I'll be all set."

"The Internet is booked?" said Jeff puzzled.

"Yeah, I have four brothers and sisters and they've booked the Internet desktop in the family room for most of the week for summer projects." said Blake.

"You can't just use your laptop in your room?" asked Jeff horrified.

"Nope. House rule-no unattended Internet access. It's how my parents manage 5 kids and keep us from downloading stuff or browsing sites we shouldn't. I supposed I could pull the 'it's for school' card, but I'd rather save that for later. Usually, I just use my laptop in the Public Library or Starbucks, but there's no WiFi at home." said Blake.

"Why not just connect via a CAT5 cable in the family room? Did you run out of ports?" asked Jeff.

"Don't know. My dad came up with this. He's pretty tech savy. Way more than me. I can ask." said Blake.

Alex was grinning and looking at Kurt, who was rolling his eyes. "Tech stuff not your thing?"

"No, not really. If they were talking about cars, I might have more interest. I worked on quite a few in my dad's garage." said Kurt.

Both Blake and Alex looked at Kurt.

"What?" asked Kurt indignantly. Jeff laughed silently.

"My little brother would **love** you. He's been a gear head since he and dad started restoring this little British sports car. It's a Triumph TR4A with IRS." said Blake, suddenly excited.

"That sounds like fun. Until you have to loosen the engine mounts just to change the fan belt. Or the Lucas electrical system dies." said Kurt with a grin. "What color is it?"

"British Racing Green."

"He'll need a tweed cap to go with it. I think I know just where to get one on-line." said Kurt.

"That's cool. His birthday's coming up."

"How do you all get along?" asked Jeff.

"Most of the time, we're OK. We squabble and bicker. Our parents had two simple rules-respect each other and don't go to bed mad. That's worked out so far."

_Yeah, like that will work with Lucy. _thought Jeff. _Not._

"We do this thing every night. We say good night to each other. I think my parents got it from a TV show. **The Waltons.**" said Blake. "I remember watching a episode. It's set in the 1930s at the height of the Great Depression. There's no money, and the eldest wanted to go to college to be a writer. Cheesy and saccharine to the point of needing a dentist."

"But saccharine doesn't cause tooth decay. Why would you need a dentist?" asked Alex grinning.

Blake gave him a look. "Now you know why I only got a B in creative writing."

"A little garlic olive oil, some salt and pepper. Yum, mixed metaphors, my favorite grilled vegetable." said Kurt.

"Yeah. Yeah. Anyway, it really helps us keep things patched up." said Blake.

Two and a half hours later, Alex bade the boys an overly dramatic farewell as he went off to brave the rush hour traffic up to the City. Kurt joked about "curbside service" as Blake dropped the boys at Rose's Acute Care facility before heading home.

**~.oOo.~**

Uncle Ted and Lucy sat in an uneasy silence across from each other in the booth. Outside the sign for a Best Western motel cast a pale glow across the parking lot.

_Ugh. I'm in Des Moines, sitting in a __Dennys__._ thought Uncle Ted. After driving for 10 hours, he was exhausted, especially after spending it with a sullen 15-year-old.

Lucy was bored from the start, either by what she was doing on her phone or by the seemingly endless expanse of cornfields that went by her passenger window. And after only an hour outside of Westerville, she started asking questions like "Are we there yet?" or "I'm bored" in a perfect Jewish-American Princess whine. At a rest stop, a very long two hours later in Somewhere, Indiana, Ted texted Jeff about Lucy's constant kvetching. Jeff texted back immediately "Can I watch?". The idea made Ted smile.

When Lucy whined about being bored again, Ted pulled over and removed his phone from it's dock on the dashboard. "Jeff wants video. Come on. Show me your complete and utter boredom." he said. Lucy crossed her arms and glowered at the camera choosing to ignore Uncle Ted's directorial suggestions.

"Give me annoyed…well, you're already got that down…now try really pissed off…good…amp it up to furious. Excellent. Now, is there anything you want to say to your friends on Facebook right now?"

Lucy made a grab for the phone just as a highway patrol officer knocked on the driver's side window.

"Is everything OK here?" he asked when Ted rolled down the window.

"Yes, officer. What seems to be the problem?" asked Ted casually. Lucy was slouched in her seat with her arms folded, continuing to glower.

"May I see some ID and registration?" Officer "Mathews" asked, according to his name tag.

"Certainly." said Ted as he reached for the glove box and found the registration in the AAA map folder. He fished his California driver's license, Proof of Insurance, and the receipt for the registration update out of his wallet. The organ donor card fell out on the floor.

"When you run the registration, you'll find it's been amended to have my name as well as Rose Shapiro. We haven't gotten the final paperwork yet, just this receipt."

Officer Mathews nodded and touched his cap "Please wait here. I'll be right back."

When the officer left, Uncle Ted said to Lucy "Remember what we talked about?"

"Yes. No teasing peace officers about Magic Underwear or angles named Macaroni." said Lucy quietly. She smiled because she'd since looked up 'Mormon' on Wikipedia. _So much to make fun of._ she thought.

"I'm not kidding. This is serious business. Unless you want to end up in a foster home in Indiana or Utah, behave." Lucy nodded, this time not frowning.

The officer came back and returned the license and other papers to Ted. "Just what is going on here?"

"My niece has been torturing me for the last two hours with 'Are we there yet?' and 'I'm bored'. My nephew texted that he wants video back at the rest stop, so I pulled over when she started again. I was getting some interesting stuff when you pulled up. Apparently, my niece doesn't take direction very well." Uncle Ted showed the phone to the officer and played the video. Officer Mathews had the slightest smile at the end, especially at the mention of Facebook. Lucy was glowering at both of them now, but she kept silent.

"I'm kinda new at this parent thing. It's one thing to be the 'fun' uncle but now I have to deal two bickering teenagers. Any advice?" asked Uncle Ted.

"Uhm. Not really. We used to give Children's Benedryl to our son during allergy season. But it really knocked him out. Personally, I think my wife liked that. He could be a handful sometimes." said the officer.

"I guess it's tough since they took St. Joseph's Valium for Children off the market." said Uncle Ted. "I'll keep that in mind. Can we go now?"

"Yes, you're free to go. You have a good day. And I'd post that before she gets your phone and deletes it." said the officer. He touched his cap and turned back to his patrol car. He didn't seem to hear Lucy's protest of "Hey, that's child abuse."

Uncle Ted breathed a sigh of relief when the car sped off. He picked up his donor card off the floor and returned it to his wallet with his license and stashed the registration and receipt back into the glove box. The phone ended up back in it's dock.

Apparently, that worked. She lapsed into an almost-as-annoying silence until they stopped at the motel some 8 hours later.

But that was just fine with Ted. They were both immersed in their own little electronic worlds. Lucy had her earbuds and her phone, now attached to a cigarette-lighter charger. Ted had his docked phone playing through the car's audio system.

He went through his podcasts of **Fresh Air**, **Planet Money, **Cory Doctorow's **Craphound **and** Prairie Home Companion.** Partway through one of Garrison Keillor's monologues on the different kinds of farts, Ted heard Lucy snicker and realized she was listening.

He switched to the **Tales of the City** audiobooks. They'd gotten a fair way into the first book when they finally stopped at the motel.

"Dinner first, then check-in?" asked Uncle Ted. Lucy nodded. They found an empty booth in the almost deserted coffee shop across the parking lot.

A waitress came to their booth when Ted sat with his menu closed and hands folded on top.

"So, what are you having tonight?" asked Doris, an older woman reminiscent of Flo, the wise-assed waitress from the old TV show **Alice.**

"I'll have a chicken salad sandwich on whole wheat toast with a side-salad instead of the french fries. Ranch dressing on the side. And hot tea. With skim milk, if you have it." said Ted. He noticed Lucy rolling her eyes. She'd heard him even with the earbuds in.

Lucy pointed at the picture of the deluxe cheeseburger with fries.

"And to drink?" asked Doris.

She pointed to a Coke and closed the menu.

Doris nodded, jotting that down on her order pad. She picked up their menus and left.

"What was that with the eyes?" Uncle Ted asked.

"Oh. I just noticed you eat like Jeff at a restaurant. He's always so picky about stuff or what's on it." she said pulling out the earbuds.

"Who do you think taught him to be conscious about food?" he retorted.

"I never thought of that." she replied. "He did seem more particular after that first summer with you."

"The problem was he refused to change his name. He didn't like the way Jeff Evil sounded." said Uncle Ted, nibbling his pinky finger.

"He's taller than you. How can he be your mini-me?" Lucy asked. _Two hours of my life wasted watching __**Austen Powers **__just to be around Nick__**.**_ she thought.

"That was the other problem." said Uncle Ted.

Their food arrived and they dug in. Lucy delicately cut her burger into quarters and poured a small dab of ketchup next to her french fries. She had her own peculiarities about eating.

"Who, pray tell, are the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence?" asked Lucy as she dunked a french fry into the ketchup. Ted noticed her sulky attitude was gone. _Finally_. thought Uncle Ted as he proceeded to explain the sexual politics of San Francisco in the 1970s as it was described in **The Tales of The City**.

The fact that he'd actually met Sister Dana Van Equity while 'she' was roller blading near Mission Dolores Park added weight to his story.

**~.oOo.~**

A week later, all the moving-in dust had settled. Kurt and Jeff both got a text message as they packed up after rehearsal.

**Tickets for Damn Yankees Saturday matinee? -ted**

Kurt typed in his reply. **Yes, please. :)**

Jeff's grinned as he sent his. **Hell yes. You gotta have heart…**

"Uhm…I have to stay late. Blake and I are working on our parts. Sorry, babe." said Jeff apologetically.

"Hey, it's no problem. I'll see you back at the house." replied Kurt as he pecked Jeff on the cheek. As interesting as it was to watch a piece of choreography being created, Kurt had been cast as Grizabella along with Alex and he needed to work on his costume sketches.

An hour later, Jeff found Kurt sitting at the kitchen table with his sketches in front of him.

"Wait. Is this me?" Jeff asked tentatively peering over Kurt's shoulder. "I thought you'd be working on your costume. And isn't Alex doing the costumes for my cast?"

"I sort of asked if I could give him some ideas." replied Kurt. "The costume designer wanted to make things easier for everyone, so she came up with this weird 'hybrids' thing."

"Hybrids?"

"Apparently, she reads certain types of fan fiction, around human-animal hybrids. She thought making costumes from actual wardrobes would be easier so long as you can dance in it. Lyra spandex is kinda hard to work with and a plain unitard is boring. Makeup finishes the effect. She's also going for each cast having their own 'look'. Your cast would be New York-urban-hipster-street. My cast will be a blend of 1960's London Mod and New Wave."

"Meanwhile," continued Kurt with a glint in his eye, "I thought of this for you." Kurt opened the sketch book to show fashion sketches of a tall, thin male model in a variety of rockstar poses with instruments. Jeff recognized some of the clothes from his wardrobe.

One sketch stood out. The model was standing with his feet planted wide slightly toed-in, wearing tight black pants, All-Star High Tops, and a red and white Rugby top with the buttons open at the chest. The model was holding a megaphone by the handle in one hand and the other stretched overhead in a "rock on" fist with thumb, index, and pinkie sticking up. Oversized sunglasses were under a shock of yellow hair and a wide-open mouth in mid-yell.

"I like it." said Jeff grinning. "Hot."

"Now imagine this with orange tabby face paint, whiskers, pussy cat ears, and a tail down to the knees." said Kurt blushing slightly at the picture in his head. "So much easier than a dancer's belt and painting stripes down your legs."

_Really hot. _Kurt thought. A wicked grin spread across his face. The same grin Kurt had flashed after their 'first time' together last week. Jeff huffed and blushed, repeating what he had said that night.

"Stop looking at me like you've seen me naked." said Jeff all embarrassed.

Kurt giggled as the kitchen timer dinged.

"Ah, they're ready." said Kurt as he put on some oven mitts. "You should go get clean up and we'll have tea and my banana date scones."

"Yes, sir." grinned Jeff "Did I mention how hot it is when you're all bossy with oven mitts?"

"Jeff…" said Kurt as said boy retreated down the hallway laughing.

The kettle started to boil and Kurt turned it down. He wanted to wait until Jeff was out of the shower so the tea would be just right.

Uncle Ted's old Acura pulled into the carport. It had spent the months under a canvas cover in Owen and Larry's garage while Ted was in Ohio. Kurt opened the door as Ted was pulling two recycled grocery bags from behind the front seat. "You're home early." he said. "Need any help carrying bags?"

"No, it's just these two. I got the things on the shopping list, plus stuff for a roast chicken dinner." said Ted. "Rose is driving back from Sacramento after her Board exam. She may be late for dinner, so I took off work early to do the shopping for tonight."

As Kurt helped Ted put stuff away, Ted said "I also wanted to thank you for all your help with the unpacking and setting up Rose's and Lucy's bedroom. It's beautiful."

"Well, I'm not about to turn down a chance to furnish and decorate a room." said Kurt casually. He was rather proud of what he'd been able to accomplish by moving some pieces from other rooms, plus some hanging fabrics and modular shelving from IKEA. Lucy had her own living space in the master bedroom and so did Rose. So far, the living arrangements were working. It was Lucy's mouth that was causing the problems.

Kurt set out the tea things.

"So, Jeff may have mentioned something's been bothering you. Do you want to talk about it?" Ted asked tentatively.

Kurt considered this for a moment, then began "My step-brother and I fight sometimes. Well, squabble is more like it. We've only been brothers for six months."

"Uh huh." said Ted noncommittally. "Rose and I have been known to exchange words when we were growing up."

Kurt rolled his eyes and continued. "Anyway, I'm guessing that our fighting is normal. Then I have a classmate from my old school who's really quite the expert at a vicious insult. But deep down, I think she says those things from a place of caring. I don't get this from Lucy."

"How long have Jeff and Lucy been like this? Lucy bullying Jeff, I mean?" There, Kurt said it. Ted sighed.

"When they were little, I didn't really notice, beyond the usual sibling bickering during my Thanksgiving visits. It got nastier after Jeff was in middle school. He talked about his own friends for the first time. Lucy was still in grade school. I think she picked on Jeff maybe because she didn't like being left out." said Ted.

"The fighting I witnessed felt different…wrong. Jeff wasn't fighting back. He just got really quiet, then got up, and left. I talked to him afterwards and he was really withdrawn, closing in on himself. I asked him how often Lucy does this and he looked at me not understanding. 'How often does she pick on you like that?' 'All the time. I want to fight back but I can't. She's a girl.'" continued Ted. "When I asked Rose about it, she acted like it was no big thing. She told me that when they were little, she'd gone through more than one box of Spiderman BandAids to cover the bites Lucy left on Jeff's back. And Jeff, being the good boy, didn't fight back." Kurt's eyes widened.

"When I suggested that this was bullying, she got mad. No, actually she _resented_ what I was saying. I was impugning her professional expertise. At least Allan actually considered it and agreed to get Jeff some help. Then I got this phone call asking me to take him for the summer."

"So it was _you_." said Jeff as he walked through the doorway from the hall, drying his wet hair with a towel. "All along I thought it was because they saw my calls to the Trevor Project on the cell phone bill."

Kurt frowned, concerned. "Jeff, you never told me about that."

"It was Nick's idea. He thought I should talk to someone, someone mom didn't know. I heard mom and dad arguing. After dinner, Dad said we were all going to talk to the Rabbi and see if she could help us 'communicate better as a family'."

Kurt smirked. "Oh, I'll bet that went over well."

"Not even. Lucy stomped off to her room. They threatened to take her computer and phone for a month if she didn't go. So she sat there during the group session, arms crossed, and pouted." said Jeff smiling grimly at the memory.

"I said I wanted to talk to someone. And the Rabbi just happened to have the name of a therapist that was new to the area. So I started seeing her and she helped me a lot. I ended up coming out to mom and dad. I started standing up for myself. First, that fight at school and an even bigger one with Lucy. I'd had it with being a doormat." admitted Jeff with a hint of pride.

"I think they called you after that blowout with Lucy. I actually said I'd chain her to her bed, light her on fire with charcoal starter, and toast marshmallows over her burning body. It was the first time I ever saw her afraid." said Jeff. "But it kinda freaked out mom and dad. They called the therapist's emergency answering service. The next thing I know, I'm being shipped off to you for the summer." said Jeff.

"Kurt, babe. I know that look. Can't you tell me what's been bothering you?" asked Jeff tentatively. "Did Lucy say something to you? Because I swear…"

"What's a schiksa?" asked Kurt abruptly.

"Did she call you that?" asked Jeff frowning. Ted's face was blank but his eyes flashed with anger.

"She'd just got home from her first day at her playwriting class at the Jewish Community Center" said Kurt, trying to mollify Jeff. He didn't want to create any more friction. But on the other hand, he so wanted to bitch slap Lucy into next Tuesday. "She said she heard some women talking. Google's yiddish sources weren't very helpful."

"It's not very nice." said Jeff angrily. "Some jewish mothers are perfectly fine to let their sons 'practice' with a schiksa or non-jewish girl, so he'll be ready to date a nice jewish girl later."

"And just let me say, you and I are _not_ 'just practicing'. I fully intend to make an honest man of you some day." said Jeff matter-of-factly. "And even if I were straight, most 'nice jewish girls' I've met are spoiled rotten Princesses, first by their parents, then their boyfriends, and finally their henpecked husbands. I think you already know someone just like that."

"Rachel." said Kurt softly.

"Got it in one. And I've only met her for 30 minutes at that party. I don't know how Finn is going to cope because he's not used to high-maintenance Princess worship."

"Actually, I think Quinn trained him up pretty well." mused Kurt. "And Santana supposedly taught him not to expect anything in bed. So, I think he's ready for a life of marital disappointment."

"Kurt, I have to ask you. Do you think it's time…to talk to your dad?" asked Jeff tentatively. Ted wondered what that was about.

"Let me think about it." said Kurt somberly. After a moment, he said "Long term, she gets to sit next to Rachel at the rehearsal dinner and the reception. Short term, you'll just have to wait and see." he said with a sly smile. Ted boggled at the fact that Kurt was already planning their wedding.

In the meantime, Kurt and Jeff nibbled on a scone as they helped Uncle Ted make the roast chicken and vegetables. It turned out it was so simple that Kurt emailed the recipe to Carol to make for his dad.

Later that night, Lucy's scream brought everyone running to her bedroom. A long length of chain and a bag of marshmallows were buried at the bottom of Lucy's covers. Jeff held his hands up in mock surrender and just shrugged his shoulders. Kurt feigned total innocence of how they got there but was Jeff noticed the look of satisfaction in Kurt's and Uncle Ted's eyes. _Well played, sirs. Well played._ he thought.

But Kurt was wrestling to much with another concern to enjoy his little victory. _I can take care of myself. The question is, can Jeff?_

**~.oOo.~**

A/N: Originally, I wrote a full shower scene between Kurt and Jeff. Although it was PG-13, I wasn't sure I wanted to include it. The implications of the moment between them are more important to the story than what actually happened, IMO.

A psychotherapist from Ohio pointed out to me that my 'west-coast-centric' world view completely discounted the presence of excellent health care in Columbus. Ohio State Medical Center would certainly have a much more progressive stroke treatment than the monolithic multi-state healthcare provider I depicted. There would be no need to 'fly someone in' from out of state that wouldn't be able to practice or have any sort of involvement with Rose's case. Wobbly plot device admitted.

I struggled for almost a year on the last part because I had a massive fight with my family. I couldn't write anything between Rose and Kurt or Jeff. Once I realized this, I 'wrote around it' by using Ted instead.


End file.
